To reach another person on the Internet you need to type a unique address into your computer, either a name or a number. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) coordinates these unique identifiers across the world, resulting in one global Internet.

The US government has overseen ICANN’s activities from its formation in 1998. The transition to a private sector entity with a multistakeholder model of leadership from the current Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between the US government and ICANN is currently under review.

This month, the mid-term review of the JPA provided Internet stakeholders an opportunity to submit their contributions to the US Department of Commerce for consideration in the transition process. A public consultation will be held on 28 February in Washington, DC. It is vital for all stakeholders that an accountable and stable structure is put into place as part of the transition to an independent ICANN.

ICC’s contribution urged a substantive discussion regarding the transition of ICANN to ensure a strong, independent and private sector-led approach.

“Businesses in all sectors are affected by the functions and decisions of ICANN and have a vested interest in the evolution of this organization,” said Gordon Moir, Chair of ICC’s Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services  and Vice President, Legal & Regulatory, British Telecom Global Services, UK.

ICC highlighted a number of key principles and considerations regarding ICANN’s transition including:

• Continued commitment to accountability and transparency
• The building of the relationship between business users and ICANN to ensure the voice of business is respected and considered in shaping the structure of the organization
• A continued role for governments that is advisory and consistent with the  multi-stakeholder structure 

“The growth and smooth functioning of the global Internet community is vital for the fostering of competition and open markets. The continued development of an independent ICANN and its management of the Domain Name System (DNS) are critical to business around the world,” said David Appasamy, Vice Chair, ICC Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services and Chief Communications Officer, Sify Technologies Limited, India.

ICC believes that now is the time to begin serious discussions to define the transition of ICANN post-JPA and the appropriate multistakeholder model and structures to strengthen the organization for the future.

For more information about the mid-term review, please   click here

For more information about ICANN, please   click here

For a copy of ICC’s views for the JPA mid-term review, please   click here