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July 4, 2006
Via Electronic Mail
Ms. Fiona Alexander Office of International Affairs National Telecommunications and Information Administration 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room 4701 Washington, DC 20230
Dear Ms. Alexander:
Re: The Continued Transition of the Technical Coordination and Management of the Internet Domain Name and Addressing System
Further to your request, we write to comment on the progress of transition of the technical coordination and management of the Internet domain name and addressing system to the private sector.
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the not-for-profit Canadian corporation responsible for operating the dot-ca Internet country code Top Level Domain as a key public resource for all Canadians in an innovative, open, and efficient manner.
Key to a successful transition of the functions identified above is the success of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). CIRA is committed to the ICANN model of bottom-up, multi-stakeholder global Internet governance. This model represents a bold experiment. It holds tremendous potential for the long-term, stable management of the Internet.
In recent months, CIRA has become increasingly concerned that ICANN has begun to stray from its core values and therefore erode legitimacy with its stakeholders. This problem must be remedied quickly and effectively.
In an open letter to ICANN dated March 17, 2006 (available at: http://www.cira.ca/news-releases/171.html), CIRA called on ICANN to strengthen its commitment to:
CIRA has yet to receive a satisfactory response to the issues raised in this letter. Accordingly, and in a spirit of constructive engagement:
CIRA recommends that ICANN engage a non-governmental, independent consultant to conduct a wide-reaching, public review of ICANN’s transparency, accountability and the fairness of its processes and to provide a road-map for ICANN’s reform.
This review can be conducted in a manner similar to the review of each Supporting Organization Council, each Advisory Committee (other than the Governmental Advisory Committee), and the Nominating Committee as set out in Article IV, Section 4 of ICANN’s Bylaws.
We remain optimistic that ICANN will emerge from any reform process stronger and better. We continue to offer any assistance we can to ICANN and to the ICANN community in this regard.
If you have any questions arising from this submission please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours very truly,
Canadian Internet Registration Authority
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