[IP] INTERNET GOVERNANCE PROJECT: "What to Do About ICANN"

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>
>     *********************************************************
>                     The Internet Governance Project
>                     announces a new policy analysis:
>
>                     "WHAT DO TO ABOUT ICANN:
>          A PROPOSAL FOR STRUCTURAL REFORM"
>
>                     www.InternetGovernance.org
>
>     **********************************************************
>
>The authors analyze how ICANN exercises governmental powers
>without possessing corresponding mechanisms for accountability.
>They propose three accountability mechanisms:
>1. Creation of an international oversight body to replace US
>     oversight of ICANN
>2. Restoration of ICANN's global elections
>3. Decentralization of the Internet root zone and coordinated
>     management between ICANN and the ITU.
>
>The paper is available at the Internet Governance Project site:
>      http://www.internetgovernance.org
>The executive summary is below.
>
>This analysis will be discussed in an on-line forum to be held
>on April 22, 2005. Additional details to be announced.
>
>
>The Internet Governance Project is an interdisciplinary consortium of
>academics comprised of:
>Dr. Milton Mueller, Professor, Syracuse University School of
>       Information Studies
>Dr. Hans Klein, Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology,
>       School of Public Policy
>Dr. John R. Mathiason, Adjunct Professor, Syracuse University
>       Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
>Dr. Lee McKnight, Associate Professor, Syracuse University School
>       of Information Studies
>Dr. Marc Holitscher, Lecturer, Institut für Politikwissenschaft der
>       Universität Zürich
>Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn, Assistant Pofessor, Syracuse University,
>       School of Information Studies
>
>###
>
>
>                             Executive Summary
>
>                     "WHAT DO TO ABOUT ICANN:
>          A PROPOSAL FOR STRUCTURAL REFORM"
>
>                    by Hans Klein and Milton Mueller
>
>With the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in
>Tunisia quickly approaching, and with the work of the UN Working
>Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) well underway, it is time to
>identify concrete policy options for Internet governance. Any
>initiatives in this area must address the criticisms that have been
>made of ICANN.  Although the international community has defined
>³Internet governance² in a way that goes beyond ICANN¹s control
>of domain names and addresses, ICANN nonetheless remains
>central to many issues. Here we propose a series of structural
>reforms for it.
>
>The proposals here are designed to address the most important
>criticisms that have been made of ICANN. These criticisms include:
>*  Concerns about unilateralism by the US Government in its control
>    of the DNS root and its supervision of ICANN.
>*  Dissatisfaction with ICANN¹s Government Advisory Committee (GAC),
>     where governments have only advisory powers.
>*  The perception that ICANN¹s governance model does not properly
>     balance the interests of developed and developing countries and
>     suppliers and users.
>*  Concerns about the relations between ICANN, country code top
>     level domain administrators (ccTLDs), and national governments.
>*  The overall perception that ICANN lacks legitimacy.
>
>To address these issues, this paper proposes the following reforms
>for ICANN:
>1)  Limits on power and internationalized oversight. A legally-binding
>      international agreement narrowly defining ICANN¹s powers and
>      replacing US Government supervision with internationalized
>      supervision .  This would allow abolition of ICANN¹s Government
>      Advisory Committee.
>2)  Democratization. Reinstatement and strengthening of the At Large
>      membership of ICANN, especially a return to election of the At Large
>      Board members and the granting of voting rights on ICANN¹s GNSO
>      to At Large representatives.
>3)  Competition. Coordinated sharing of responsibilities between ICANN
>      and the ITU in a way that would allow ccTLD managers and IP address
>      users a choice of alternative governance arrangements.
>
>See full analysis at:  http://www.internetgovernance.org
>
>###
>


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