[council] Request for Comments:Enhancing ICANN Accountability

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/enhancing-accountability-06may14-en.htm
Enhancing ICANN Accountability
Comment / Reply Periods (*)
Comment Open Date: 6 May 2014
Comment Close Date: 27 May 2014 - 23:59 UTC
Reply Open Date: 28 May 2014
Reply Close Date: 18 June 2014 - 23:59 UTC
Important Information Links
Public Comment 
Announcement<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-06may14-en.htm>
To Submit Your Comments 
(Forum)<mailto:comments-enhancing-accountability-06may14@xxxxxxxxx>
View Comments 
Submitted<http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-enhancing-accountability-06may14/>
Brief Overview
Originating Organization:
ICANN
Categories/Tags:

 *   Transparency/Accountability
Purpose (Brief):

As announced at ICANN's March 2014 Public Meeting in Singapore, ICANN is 
initiating a discussion on Enhancing ICANN Accountability. This discussion will 
look at how ICANN remains accountable in the absence of its historical 
contractual relationship to the U.S. Government and the perceived backstop with 
regard to ICANN's organization-wide accountability provided by that role. While 
related to the ongoing discussions around the IANA Stewardship Transition, this 
is a separate process, though the output of this process is expected to be 
completed on the same timeframe as the stewardship transition work.
Current Status:

ICANN is initiating the community discussion on enhancement of ICANN's 
accountability through the posting of a background document and questions for 
input.
Next Steps:

The responses received will be compiled and analyzed. Prior to ICANN's June 
2014 Public Meeting in London, ICANN's Supporting Organizations and Advisory 
Committees will be requested to start identifying Working Group participants, 
so that the work can start in earnest at ICANN 50 after community input is 
received.
Staff Contact:
Theresa Swinehart, Senior Advisor to the President on Strategy
Email Staff 
Contact<mailto:theresa.swinehart@xxxxxxxxx?subject=More%20information%20on%20the%20Enhancing%20ICANN%20Accountability%20public%20comment%20period>
Detailed Information
Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose:

On March 14, 2014, the US National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA) announced its intent to transition its stewardship over 
key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community. 
NTIA asked ICANN, as the IANA functions contractor and the global coordinator 
for the DNS, to convene a multistakeholder process to develop a proposal for 
the transition.

During discussions around the IANA stewardship transition, the community has 
also raised the broader topic of the impact of the transition on ICANN 
accountability. While the community develops a proposal for the transition of 
NTIA's stewardship role, it is important that the community also address the 
separate - but interdependent and interrelated - issue of ICANN's 
accountability. As a result, ICANN is launching a separate process, the scope 
of which is to look at ICANN remaining accountable in the absence of its 
historical contractual relationship to the U.S. Government and the perceived 
backstop with regard to ICANN's organization-wide accountability provided by 
that role, such as the renewal process of the IANA Functions Contract. This 
second process will examine from an organizational perspective how ICANN's 
broader accountability mechanisms should be strengthened to address the absence 
of its historical contractual relationship to the U.S. Government. This 
includes looking at strengthening existing accountability mechanisms like the 
Affirmation of 
Commitments<http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/aoc/affirmation-of-commitments-30sep09-en.htm>.
 This process is additive, not a duplication of any of the reviews called for 
under the Affirmation of Commitments.

This Accountability Process is envisioned to be coordinated by the ICANN 
Accountability Working Group, comprised of community members as well 
subject-matter experts in a range of areas, including:

 *   Internet Technical Operations
 *   International Organizational Reviews
 *   Global Accountability Tools and Metrics
 *   Jurisprudence / Accountability Mechanism
 *   Internet Consumer Protection
 *   Economics (Marketplace and Competition)
 *   Global Ethics Frameworks
 *   Operational, Finance and Process
 *   Board Governance
 *   Transparency
 *   Risk Management

The Enhancing ICANN 
Accountability<http://www.icann.org/en/news/in-focus/accountability/enhancing-accountability>
 page sets out the detail of the proposed terms of reference for the process as 
well as setting forth questions designed to provide input to the ICANN 
Accountability Working Group. For ease of reference, the questions posed are:

 *   What issues does the community identify as being core to strengthening 
ICANN's overall accountability in the absence of its historical contractual 
relationship to the U.S. Government?
 *   What should be the guiding principles to ensure that the notion of 
accountability is understood and accepted globally? What are the consequences 
if the ICANN Board is not being accountable to the community? Is there anything 
that should be added to the Working Group's mandate?
 *   Do the Affirmation of Commitments and the values expressed therein need to 
evolve to support global acceptance of ICANN's accountability and so, how?
 *   What are the means by which the Community is assured that ICANN is meeting 
its accountability commitments?
 *   Are there other mechanisms that would better ensure that ICANN lives up to 
its commitments?
 *   What additional comments would you like to share that could be of use to 
the ICANN Accountability Working Group?

As the public comment period is underway, ICANN will be reaching out to the 
Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees regarding the identification 
of Working Group members. ICANN anticipates that the Working Group will 
commence its work, including consideration of community input, during ICANN 50 
in June 2014. It's expected that sub-working groups on specialized subject 
areas will be useful and open to all.
Section II: Background:

The Enhancing ICANN 
Accountability<http://www.icann.org/en/news/in-focus/accountability/enhancing-accountability>
 page sets forth detail on the community consultation that led to the creation 
of this ICANN Accountability Process, as well as an inventory of ICANN's 
current accountability efforts.
Section III: Document and Resource Links:

Community input is sought on the Enhancing ICANN Accountability proposal.
Further background on the IANA Stewardship Transition is available at 
http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/iana/transition.
Section IV: Additional Information:

N/A

________________________________

(*) Comments submitted after the posted Close Date/Time are not guaranteed to 
be considered in any final summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making 
that takes place once this period lapses.

Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://gnso.icann.org