U.S. COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES A JOINT PROJECT AGREEMENT WITH ICANN ON THE COORDINATION
OF INTERNET DOMAIN NAME AND ADDRESSING SYSTEM
The Commerce Department today announced it has signed a
Joint Project Agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) to continue the transition of the coordination of the technical
functions relating to the management of the Internet Domain Name and Addressing
System to the private sector. It focuses on institutionalizing transparency and
accountability mechanisms in the management of the Internet domain name and
addressing system.
"We continue to believe that ICANN is the appropriate
private sector entity to coordinate the technical elements of the DNS," said
Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information John M.R. Kneuer.
"We are committed to working with ICANN to ensure that they
have the established transparency and accountability mechanisms necessary to be
a stable, lasting and independent institution," Kneuer said.
The three year Joint Project Agreement extends the current
Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and ICANN which expires on September 30, 2006. It calls for a midpoint review of ICANN's progress towards becoming a
more stable organization with greater transparency and accountability in its
procedures and decision making, the department said.
The Joint Project Agreement follows an internal review of
the MOU and a public consultation process that resulted in over 700
contributions from individuals, private corporations, trade associations,
non-governmental entities and foreign governments.
The public consultation process showed broad support for
continuing the transition of the coordination of the technical management
of the DNS to the private sector and the continued involvement of the DOC in
this transition, the department said.
The full text of the Joint Project Agreement can be accessed
through NTIA's web site at www.ntia.doc.gov
#
# #
|