[DNS] IANA Proposal to NTIA

[DNS] IANA Proposal to NTIA

From: Kate Lance <clance§connect.com.au>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:40:55 +1000
The initial IANA board has been announced - Greg Crew from ACIF is
one of the board members.

Kate


----- Forwarded message from Internet Assigned Numbers Authority <iana&#167;ISI.EDU> -----

From: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority <iana&#167;ISI.EDU>
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 16:40:16 -0700 (PDT)
To: iana-announce&#167;ISI.EDU
Subject: IANA Proposal to NTIA
Cc: iana&#167;ISI.EDU

Hi.

IANA submitted the following proposal to NTIA today.  The supporting
documents can be found on the IANA web site.

___________________________________________________________________________

                              October 2, 1998

Honorable William M. Daley
Secretary of Commerce
c/o Karen Rose
Office of International Affairs
Room 471
National Telecommunications and
   Information Administration
United States Department of Commerce
14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20230

              Re:  Management of Internet Names and Addresses

Dear Secretary Daley:

     On  June  5,  1998,  the  National  Telecommunications and Information
Administration  ("NTIA") of the United States Department of Commerce issued
a  policy  statement,  commonly  known  as the "White Paper," in which NTIA
called  on  private  sector  Internet stakeholders to form a not-for-profit
corporation  to administer policy for the Internet name and address system.
Since  that time, people all over the world have been working diligently to
meet  NTIA's  challenge, and I believe we have now reached that goal.  This
accomplishment  is  the  result  of an extensive process of discussions and
negotiations  among  a large number of interested people and organizations.
The  process has included meetings, conferences, and most appropriately for
this purpose, extensive use of the Internet.  I am very pleased to say that
we have reached a successful conclusion.  Enclosed are documents reflecting
this  consensus,  including  copies  of  the  Articles of Incorporation and
proposed  Bylaws  for  this  new  non-profit  organization,  which has been
incorporated  in  California.**While  the  organization  has  been formally
incorporated,  it  has  not  yet  elected  a  board of directors or adopted
bylaws, and currently intends to refrain from doing so until the completion
of  your  review  of  the  enclosed materials.  These documents reflect the
consensus  judgment  of  the  global Internet community as to how to form a
corporation  that  will  include the IANA function, and in addition take on
other  coordination  and  administrative responsibilities necessary for the
continued operational stability and growth of the Internet.


     The  organization that these documents will create is fully responsive
to  the criteria and specific recommendations set forth in the White Paper.
In particular:

          Global  Internet  Stakeholder  Consensus.   The White Paper urged
that  the new corporation's organizers include "representatives of regional
Internet  number  registries,  Internet  engineers and computer scientists,
domain   name   registries,   domain   name   registrars,   commercial  and
noncommercial  users,  Internet  service providers, international trademark
holders  and Internet experts highly respected throughout the international
Internet  community."   All  of  those  and  more have participated in this
process,  and achieving consensus among such a broad group has proven to be
both an exciting and difficult task.  While there is probably no one who is
entirely  satisfied  with  the  enclosed  documents,  including myself, the
essence  of  consensus  is compromise, and it is in that spirit that almost
all  participants  in  this  process have labored.  IANA's role in this has
primarily  been as the scribe, recording to the best of our ability what we
understood  to be the community consensus as it developed.  There have been
five  iterations of draft documents, each more refined and benefitting from
comments  and  suggestions  from  throughout  the  community.   These final
documents  are  the  cumulative reflection of those efforts, and we believe
that  they  do in fact command the support of a broad consensus of Internet
stakeholders, private and public.

          Interim  Board.   The White Paper proposed the appointment, on an
          interim  basis, of a diverse Initial Board of Directors who would
          serve  for a short period of time, and then could not again serve
          on  the  Board  for  a fixed period following the election of the
          first  permanent  Board.   As  was  the  case with respect to the
          organizational  documents  that  are attached to this submission,
          recommendations  and  suggestions  for Initial Board members have
          been  received from around the world.  The following persons, who
          bring a range of skills and experience that will be invaluable in
          continuing   the   work   of   creating   this  global  consensus
          organization, have agreed to serve on the Initial Board:

               --    Geraldine  Capdeboscq,  Executive  Vice  President for
                    Strategy,  Technology  and  Partnerships,  BULL.   Mrs.
                    Capdeboscq  has  been  with  BULL  since  1988, serving
                    previously  as  President  of the Smartcards, Terminals
                    and Securization Division.

               --    George H. Conrades, Partner, Polaris Venture Partners.
                    Mr.  Conrades  is the former Chief Executive Officer of
                    BBN  Corporation,  and most recently GTE Executive Vice
                    President and President, GTE Internetworking, since the
                    acquisition  of  BBN  by  GTE  in  July  1997.  He is a
                    director  of  several  companies,  and a trustee of The
                    Scripps   Research  Institute  and  the  Committee  for
                    Economic Development.

               --    Gregory  L.  Crew, Chairman, Australian Communications
                    Industry  Forum  Ltd.   Mr.  Crew  is  the former Chief
                    Executive   Officer  of  Mercury  Communications  Ltd.,
                    Chairman   of  the  Australian  Information  Technology
                    Engineering   Centre   Ltd.,   and   a  Fellow  of  the
                    Institution  of  Electrical Engineers.  The ACIF is the
                    organization established by the communications industry
                    in Australia to manage its self-regulatory processes.

               --    Esther Dyson, Chairman, EDventure Holdings.  Ms. Dyson
                    co-chaired   the  United  States  National  Information
                    Infrastructure Advisory Council Information Privacy and
                    Intellectual  Property subcommittee, sits on the boards
                    of  several  business organizations, is a member of the
                    board  of  the Electronic Freedom Foundation, the Santa
                    Fe  Institute  and the Institute for East-West Studies,
                    and  serves  on  the  advisory  board  of  the Software
                    Entrepreneurs Forum and the Poynter Institute for Media
                    Studies.   She  is  the author of Release 2.0: A design
                    for living in the digital age.

               --     Frank   Fitzsimmons,   Senior  Vice  President-Global
                    Marketing,   Dun   &   Bradstreet   Corporation.    Mr.
                    Fitzsimmons  has been with Dun & Bradstreet since 1987,
                    and  is currently responsible for the implementation of
                    new global marketing initiatives in the areas of access
                    systems, software, Internet applications and electronic
                    commerce.

               --    Hans  Kraaijenbrink,  Chairman of the Executive Board,
                    ETNO (Association of European Public Telecommunications
                    Network  Operators).   Mr.  Kraaijenbrink  is  Manager,
                    European  Policy  and  Regulation  for  Royal KPV N.V.,
                    responsible  for  European and international regulatory
                    strategic affairs.

               --     Jun   Murai,   Professor,  Faculty  of  Environmental
                    Information,  Keio University.  Professor Murai is also
                    the   General  Chairperson  of  the  WIDE  Project  (an
                    Internet   research  consortium),  President  of  Japan
                    Network   Information   Centre   (JPNIC),   an  Adjunct
                    Professor  at the Institute of Advanced Studies, United
                    Nations  University,  and  a  member  of  the  Board of
                    Trustees of the Internet Society.

               --    Dr.  Eugenio  Triana,  Internet Management Consultant.
                    Dr. Triana was formerly Secretary General of Industrial
                    Promotion  and  Technology  in  the Spanish Ministry of
                    Industry  and  Energy,  and  President of the Licensing
                    Executive  Society  (LES-Spain).   He recently left the
                    European Commission staff, where he was Deputy Director
                    General  of  DG  XIII, responsible for the Commission's
                    relations    with    information   and   communications
                    technology  user  interests and for coordinating policy
                    for space and satellite development.

               --    Linda  S.  Wilson,  President, Radcliffe College.  Dr.
                    Wilson  was  previously  Vice President for Research at
                    the  University of Michigan, and is a charter member of
                    the       National       Academy      of      Sciences'
                    Government-University-Industry   Research   Roundtable.
                    She  is  a  member  of the Institute of Medicine of the
                    National  Academy  of  Sciences  and  a  fellow  of the
                    American Association for the Advancement of Science.

          This  distinguished  group  of individuals is both geographically
          diverse   and  possesses  the  mixture  of  technical  expertise,
          management experience and consensus-building skills called for by
          the  White  Paper  and  required  to  move  this process forward.
          Additional  biographical  information  for  each  of the proposed
          Initial  Board  members is attached to this submission.  Finally,
          in  response  to  the  White  Paper,  Article  V.1  of the Bylaws
          provides  that  the  members  of  the Initial Board may not serve
          again on the Board until two years have elapsed following the end
          of their terms.

          Supporting Organizations.  The White Paper suggested that the new
          corporation could rely on "separate, diverse, and robust name and
          number   councils  responsible  for  developing,  reviewing,  and
          recommending  for  the Board's approval policy related to matters
          within  each  council's  competence."   Article  VI of the Bylaws
          accomplishes   this   objective   by  creating  three  Supporting
          Organizations  --  for  Addresses, Protocols, and Domain Names --
          which are delegated the primary responsibility for developing and
          recommending  substantive policies and procedures regarding those
          matters within their individual scope.

          Bottom-up  Governance.   The White Paper recommended a system for
          electing the permanent Board of Directors that preserves, as much
          as  possible,  the  tradition  of  bottom-up  governance  of  the
          Internet.   To this end, Article V.4 of the Bylaws provides for a
          Board  that  will  have a total of nineteen members:  three to be
          selected  by  the  Address  Supporting  Organization; three to be
          selected  by the Domain Name Supporting Organization; three to be
          selected  by  the  Protocol  Supporting  Organization; nine to be
          elected  "At  Large"; and the president of the corporation.  Each
          of  the  Supporting Organizations is required by the Bylaws to be
          an  open,  inclusive  and  transparent organization, and to allow
          broad participation in both its substantive activities and in the
          process  for choosing the directors that will be selected by that
          Supporting  Organization.  At Large Board members will be elected
          through  a  process  that  will rely on nominations from Internet
          users  and  other participants.  Thus, the Board will be entirely
          made  up  of individuals selected by the persons that operate and
          use  the  Internet, fully reflecting the policies advanced by the
          White Paper.

          Geographic  and  Functional Diversity.  The White Paper suggested
          that  the  Initial  Board  be directed "to establish a system for
          electing  a  Board  of  Directors  for  the  new corporation that
          insures  that  the  new corporation's Board of Directors reflects
          the geographical and functional diversity of the Internet, and is
          sufficiently  flexible  to permit evolution to reflect changes in
          the  constituency of Internet stakeholders."  As described above,
          directors  will  be  elected  by  a  combination  of  specialized
          Supporting  Organizations and directly by an at large membership;
          this  structure  is directly responsive to the White Paper's call
          for  functional  diversity  and  evolutionary  flexibility.  With
          respect  to  geographical  diversity,  Article  V.6 of the Bylaws
          provides  that  no  more  than  one-half  of the directors may be
          residents  of  any one geographic region, and no more than two of
          the  directors  nominated  by each Supporting Organization may be
          residents of any one geographic region.  To ensure that the Board
          reflects  the  likely evolution of the Internet, Article V.6 also
          requires  the  Board  to  revisit this issue at least every three
          years so as to preserve the principle of geographic diversity.

          Transparent  Decision-Making.  The White Paper urged that the new
          corporation  should  be  governed  on  the  basis of a "sound and
          transparent   decision-making  process,  which  protects  against
          capture by a self-interested faction."  In response, Article 4 of
          the  Articles  of  Incorporation  requires  that  the corporation
          "operate  for  the benefit of the Internet community as a whole,"
          and  also contains a broad commitment of the corporation to "open
          and  transparent processes."  Article III of the Bylaws, entitled
          "Transparency  and  Procedures,"  adds  to this commitment with a
          requirement  that  the  corporation  and its subordinate entities
          "operate   to   the  maximum  extent  feasible  in  an  open  and
          transparent  manner  and  consistent  with procedures designed to
          ensure  fairness."   In  addition,  Article III requires that the
          activities  of  the  corporation  be broadly disclosed and widely
          publicized  on  the  Internet and otherwise, including the prompt
          publication  of  minutes  of all meetings.  In addition, prior to
          the  adoption  of  any  policies  that  substantially  affect the
          operation  of  the  Internet  or  third  parties,  the Board will
          provide  public  notice on its Web site explaining the nature of,
          and  inviting  comment on, the proposed policies, and is required
          to publish the reasons supporting any such action that it takes.

          Governmental Participation.  The White Paper stated that official
          government  representation  on  the  Board of Directors should be
          restricted  without  precluding governments and intergovernmental
          organizations  from  participating.   Accordingly, Article V.5 of
          the   Bylaws  precludes  officials  of  national  governments  or
          multinational   entities  from  serving  as  directors;  however,
          Article  7.3  provides for a Governmental Advisory Committee that
          will  consist of representatives of governments and multinational
          entities  and  will  have  the  ability  to consider, and provide
          advice  to the Board concerning, activities of the corporation as
          they relate to concerns of governments.

          Location  and  Continuity.  The White Paper proposed that the new
          corporation  be  headquartered  and  incorporated  in  the United
          States  as  a  not-for-profit corporation, with arrangements made
          with  current IANA staff to provide continuity and expertise over
          the course of the transition.  In order to maintain the stability
          of  the  Internet,  the new corporation has been established as a
          California  not-for-profit  corporation with its principal office
          in  Los  Angeles,  although  the  Bylaws contemplate that offices
          might  be  opened  outside  the  United  States  in  the  future.
          Arrangements  are in place with current IANA staff to provide for
          the  transition, and discussions are underway with the University
          of Southern California, where the IANA function has been located,
          that  would facilitate that transition and maintain the stability
          of current operations.

          New  Substantive  Policies.   Consistent  with  the White Paper's
          recommendations,  these incorporating documents do not attempt to
          make  policy  with  respect  to  the  controversial  issues  that
          prompted  the  issuance of the White Paper in the first instance.
          For  example,  issues  such  as  creating  new  generic top-level
          domains,   establishing   a  competitive  registrar  system,  and
          addressing trademark controversies are deferred for consideration
          by the new corporation.

	  This  organization  will  be unique in the world -- a
	  non-governmental organization  with significant
	  responsibilities for administering what  is becoming an
	  important global resource.  This is fully in keeping  with
	  the historical roots and character of the Internet, but  it
	  obviously  presents real challenges if it is to function
	  effectively.   The  experience  of  creating these
	  organizational documents,   which   required   an  extremely
	  diverse  group  of stakeholders  to  put  aside their
	  differences and concentrate on the job at hand -- recognizing
	  that debate over those differences was  merely  being
	  postponed  -- is instructive and encouraging.  The  success
	  of this effort is something about which all who were involved
	  can be proud, but more importantly it bodes well for the
	  future  work that must yet take place before this
	  organization is fully  functional.   There  are many
	  challenges left for the days and  years to come, but the
	  consensus that developed around these documents provides
	  considerable promise that those challenges can also be
	  overcome.

	  Should  you  agree  that the enclosed materials satisfy the
	  conditions set forth in the White Paper, as I am confident
	  you will, I would welcome  the  opportunity  to  facilitate
	  contacts  between your office  and  the new organization to
	  discuss the beginning of the transition process.

                                   Sincerely,




                                   Jon Postel




Enclosures

cc (w/encs.):   Ira C. Magaziner
                R.J. Beckwith Burr


___________________________________________________________________________

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Received on Sun Oct 04 1998 - 08:41:02 UTC

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