Written Testimony of Dr. Paul Twomey Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers on Issues concerning the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), including the expiration of the Joint Project Agreement between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN at the end of September and the creation of new global top level domains (gtlds). Before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet of the United States House of Representatives June 4, 2009
Background TheJPA/MOUprocesshashelpedtogrowICANNtobearemarkablesuccessstory.The uniqueusgovernment ICANNrelationshiphasbeen,isandwillcontinuetobecritically importanttoicann ssuccess. TheoriginalMOU 1 usedtheword Test whenitwascommencedalmost11yearsago.it wasatestofwhetheramulti stakeholderprivatesectorlead,california basednotforprofitcorporationcouldperformanarrowbutcrucialtechnicalfunction. Afterthose11years,ICANNisasuccessfulUSbasedorganizationwithinternational supportandparticipation.ithasbeenkeytoproducingasingle,interoperableinternet thatwe,andcountlessbusinessesrelyoneveryday.insimpleterms itworks. Accountability LikeotherorganizationsICANNwill indeedmust continuallyimprove.butunlikemany organizationsicannhascontinualimprovementthroughreviewwrittenintoitsbylaws 2 and,acommunitythatdrivesustoimproveandthatwillneverallowustostopstrivingfor thebestwecanbe. TheJPA/MOUprocesshasbeenamajorstabilizerfortheorganization.Ithasencouraged worthy,sensibleandcarefulorganizationbuildingthrough7versionsofthemouand13 reportcardsfromicannover11years 3. ButonethingtheJPAclearlyisnotandneverhasbeenisanoversightmechanism.The DepartmentofCommercehassaidthathistoricallyandsaysitagaininitslatestNoticeof Inquiry. 1 http://www.icann.org/en/general/icann-mou-25nov98.htm 2 http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#iv 3 http://www.icann.org/en/general/agreements.htm 2
SomehowovertimethelanguageoftheJPAhasbecomethelanguageofseparation: ICANN isleavinghome ; ICANNisseekingindependence ; ICANNwantstobecomeless accountable.thatlanguageiswrongandhasconfusedtheunderstandingofwhatthejpa isandwhatconclusionmeans. ICANNisnotseekingindependence;wehavebeenindependentsince1999. ICANNisnotleavinghome.TheUnitedStateswillalwaysbeourcorporateheadquarters. ICANNisnotseekinglessaccountability.Weareactivelyseekingmore. InfactonlythisweekICANNreleasedmaterialsforcommunityreflectionwhichsuggested theicannbylawsshouldbeamendedtoestablishanewindependentreviewtribunal withpowerstoreviewtheexerciseofdecision makingpowersoftheicannboardunder threegeneralrubrics fairness,fidelitytothepower,orcogencyofdecision making. 4 TheIndependentReviewTribunalwouldconsistofastandingpanelofinternationally recognizedrelevanttechnicalexpertsaswellasinternationallyrecognizedjurists, includingpersonswithseniorappellatejudgeexperience.memberswouldbeappointedfor eitherasetperiodoffiveyearsoruntiltheyresign. ThisproposalwouldbuildontheexistingaccountabilitiesthatoperateintheICANN environment.thesewereoutlinedinthedocument, AccountabilityandTransparency FrameworksandPrinciplespublishedinJanuary2008. 5 ThreeSpheresofAccountability ICANNisaccountableinatleastthreeways: 1.Publicsphereaccountabilitythatdealswithmechanismsforassuringstakeholdersthat 4 http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-01jun09-en.htm 5 (http://www.icann.org/en/transparency/acct trans frameworks principles 10jan08.pdf) 3
ICANNhasbehavedresponsibly.ThemechanismsholdingICANNaccountableinthe sphereinclude: 3publicmeetingsperyear freetoallandinadifferentgloballocation; MonthlyBoardmeetingswithminutesonwebsiteinunder5days 6 ; Correspondenceinboundandoutboundisposted; Annualreport 7 ; AnindependentOmbudsman 8 ; Externalindependentfinancialaudit; IndependentreviewofStructureeverythreeyears; TranscriptionofMeetingdiscussionsandpostingtowebsite 9 ; Translationinto5UNlanguagesformajorconsultations; Mp3 sofsupportingorganizationmeetingsbackto2003; CongressionalhearingsandanInformationDisclosurePolicy 10. 2.CorporateandlegalaccountabilitycoverstheobligationsthatapplytoICANN throughthelegalsystemandunderitsbylaws.themechanismsholdingicann 6 http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/ 7 http://www.icann.org/en/annualreport/ 8 http://www.icann.org/ombudsman/ 9 http://www.icann.org/en/translations/ 10 http://www.icann.org/en/transparency/didp-en.htm 4
accountableinthesphereinclude: ByLaws anyonemateriallyaffectedbyanactionoficannmayrequestreviewor reconsiderationofthataction 11 ; ICANNisaCalifornianNotForProfit(NFP)corporationboundbystatelawsandfederal laws 12 ; Thoselawsincludelawsapplicabletocontracting,tortiousandmonopolisticbehaviour; TheCalifornianAttorneyGeneralisthelegaloverseerofNFP slikeicannandcan conductinvestigationsandactionstoensureicanncan tstrayfromitsresponsibilities; AllDirectorshavefiduciaryresponsibilities; AllDirectorshaveDutyofprudentinvestmentandloyalty; ICANNcanhaveactiontakenagainstitinaUnitedStatesCourt. 3.ParticipatingcommunityaccountabilitythatensuresthattheBoardandExecutive performfunctionsinlinewiththewishesandexpectationsoftheicanncommunity.the mechanismsholdingicannaccountableinthesphereinclude: There15votingmembersontheBoard 6electedbySupportingorganizationsofthecommunity; 8arefromanominatingcommittee(nomcom)plusCEO 13 ; Thereisa bottomup selectionprocess nomcomismadeupofrepresentativesofthe 11 http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#iv 12 http://www.icann.org/en/general/articles.htm 13 http://nomcom.icann.org/ 5
community; ThereisaGovernmentAdvisoryCommittee:over120members,UnitedStatesincluded 14 ; Plus6LiaisonsfromTechnical,Security,Users,InternetEngineeringTaskforce; ICANN sbudget,strategicandoperatingplansareconsultedonandscrutinizedby community. 15 EnshriningWhatWorks WhilsttheJPAisnotanoversightmechanism,whatJPAconclusioncouldandshouldsignal isinfactpermanenceandentrenchmentofthegoodworkdoneinbuildingthissuccessful model. AsanorganizationwithinternationalstakeholdersweknowthattoextendJPAwouldbe greetedwithconcern.itgalvanizesothergovernmentsandgovernmentinstitutionsto demandanadditionalroletoo.after11yearsof testing,renewingorextendingjpa the possibilityofanother temporary agreement(the8thinarow) causesthosewithan interestto modelshop astheywaitforsomefurtherperiodfortheoriginalmodeltobe confirmed. Itisnowtimetoendthe11yearsoftemporaryMOUsandtentativeacceptanceofthis model.infactitisauniquetimetoshowthatthemodelwithinwhichstakeholderscan addressissuesistherightone andtherearenotothermodels,thisistheoneanditis designedtocontinuouslyimprove. Thebetterrouteistoenshrinethefundamentalprinciplesthathaveservedall stakeholderssowellasicann spermanentchartergoingforward.icannwillalways: 14 http://gac.icann.org/ 15 http://www.icann.org/en/planning/ 6
Retainanarrowmission 16 ; RemainbasedintheUS; Remainanotforprofit; Remainanindependentorganization; Remainprivatesector,multistakeholderled; EnsuretheroleofGovernmentsintheICANNmodelthroughtheGovernmentalAdvisory Committee; Remaincommittedtocontinuousimprovement. IANAContract TheInternetAssignedNumbersAuthority(IANA) 17 iswhataffordsicannthe responsibilityfortheglobalcoordinationofthednsroot,ipaddressing,andotherinternet protocolresources.theianacontractisheldbythedepartmentofcommerce. 18 WhentheJPAconcludesinSeptember,theU.S.Governmentrolewillandmustcontinue throughianacontractfortheorganization sownlegitimacyandpurpose.andbeinga California basedcompanyensuresicannissubjecttocongressionaloversightandus legalprocess.likeanycontract,icannmustperformthefunctionwithexcellence.the UnitedStatesGovernmentandtheCongresswillalwaysholdoversighthearingsandreach outtothebusinesscommunity,withorwithoutanytemporaryagreements. NewgTLDs 16 http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#i 17 http://www.iana.org/ 18 http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#iv 7
GenericTop LevelDomainsorgTLDs,arethatportionofanInternetaddressthatistothe rightofthedot,suchasdot comordot org. Currentlythereare21ofthosegTLDs.ICANNiscurrentlydecidinghowtoliftthatartificial limit. Therearecrucialconcernsabouttrademarkandintellectualpropertyprotectionsoncethe expansionofgtldsbegins.wehaveheardthemandweareactingtofixthem.theicann Boardhasinvitedthosewhohavevoicedconcerntogiveussolutionsbeforeweopenup theapplicationprocess.indeedtheyproducedandmadepublictheirreport 19 onlythis weekanditwillbeconsideredaticann snextglobalmeetingtobeheldinsydney,june 21 26,2009 20. ICANNwillnotopenuptheprocessuntilsuchconcernshavebeenaddressed. ThequestionisoftenaskedwhyICANNisexpandingthetop leveldomainspace.the answeris:wewereaskedtobythecommunityandtheunitedstatesgovernment.itwasa key stoneinthewhitepaper 21 thatestablishedicann,hasbeenanobjectiveofeachofthe temporaryagreements,andthejpa,andwasthesubjectofatwo year,intensive,broadbasedcommunitydrivenpolicydevelopmentdiscussionthatcouldnothavetakenplace anywhere exceptaticann. ConcernswereraisedlastyearbytheUnitedStates DepartmentofCommerceandtheUS DepartmentofJusticeandwehaveconductedaneconomicstudy 22 evaluatingmanyofthe pointsraisedandhavecontinuedthedialogueaspartoftheimplementationprocessto dealwiththoseconcerns. 19 http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-4-29may09-en.htm 20 http://syd.icann.org/ 21 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/6_5_98dns.htm#n_16_ 22 http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04mar09-en.htm 8
Inaddition,competitioninthedomainspaceisembeddedinourvaluescontainedinour bylaws 23. Soinconclusion,itisnosurprisethattheICANNmodelisproducingopportunitiesfor choice,commerceandindividualexpressionanddoingsowhilebeingattendanttoourcore mission security. TheUnitedStatesGovernmentimbuedthesevaluesintotheICANNmodel alongwith accountability,freedom,democracy followingthegreattraditionofpursuitofthesein thiscountry andicannismadeallthestrongerforthat. 23 http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#i 9