[LINK] OzIT: ICANN to go "private" (?)

[Roger Clarke]

[Comments at the end]


No role for UN in ICANN
Simon Hayes
The Australian IT Section
NOVEMBER 16, 2004
http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,11393890%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

THE global domain name governing body has warned off the UN, saying 
it will operate as a private organisation when its agreement with the 
US Department of Commerce expires in 2006.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is 
responsible for managing the domain name and internet protocol 
address system, and operates under an agreement with the US Commerce 
Department.

ICANN chief executive Paul Twomey, an Australian, said the 
organisation would cut its ties with the department when the 
agreement expired in 2006, and ICANN would not be under the authority 
of any international organisation.

"The internet is 200,000 private networks linked by private 
agreement," Dr Twomey said.

"At the heart of the way the internet works is that it grows quickly 
through the private-sector model. It's not formulated by 
international treaty."

In a 63-page strategic plan to be issued today, the US-based body 
plots its future, including a fund to encourage participation of 
developing countries and more regional meetings.

The document projects a marginally increased budget for additional 
activities, rising from $US15.8 million ($19.5 million) in the 
2004-05 financial year to $US19.5 million in 2005-06.

The budget could be increased by increasing charges on registrars and 
country code administrators.

Some of that money will be spent on increased security, and although 
ICANN is not setting itself up as a major funding source, it is 
planning to develop a special fund for research into network security.

"We don't see ourselves as a major funder of international research, 
but as an enthusiastic endorser of international initiatives," Dr 
Twomey said.

ICANN wants to increase interest from the developing world, which 
missed out on the first wave of internet commercialisation in the 
early to mid-1990s.

The organisation wants more representation from developing countries, 
and supports moves to bring more domain name country codes back under 
the control of those countries.

These countries have been using UN mechanisms such as the World 
Summit on the Information Society in an attempt to influence the 
development of the internet.

Dr Twomey said there was no chance the UN could control ICANN.

"The Americans are explicit that they see their role in due 
diligence, and once that has happened they don't think it's the role 
of government to run the internet," he said.

ICANN is on track to complete the 35 milestones set in the agreement 
with the US by 2006.

It has already reached 10 of these goals.


[I wonder what Twomey means by 'private'.  It could mean 'not 
government', which is a mixed blessing, and needs discussion.  We 
don't want any of the USA, the PRC, or the 220-nation UN running the 
Internet;  but we also don't want national governments to have *no* 
role in governance.

[But 'private' could also mean 'not public'.  Is Twomey saying that 
individual users can only have a voice in Internet governance if they 
can stump up enough money to be one of the "200,000 private networks 
linked by private agreement"?

[My 4-workstation local IP network is hidden behind a router running 
Network Address Translation (i.e. with only one IP-address, and 
without the 4 workstations being visible to the net).  Is mine one of 
those 200,000, or are there two tiers of private networks?  I doubt 
if I can afford the entry fee to the big league (any more than I can 
afford to be a participant in W3C);  and I'm wealthier than the 
average SOHO operator]

-- 
Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                 Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au            http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program, University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Baker Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre, U.N.S.W
Visiting Fellow in Computer Science, Australian National University