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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I just pointed out to the ALAC that we still should
point out </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>that w</FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>e do suggest that an institutional form should be found as soon as
possible so that ICANN does not lie under the authority of any single national
legislation. But, that at this mid-term review phase, we do not believe the
organization is ready to function without a similar accountability mechanism to
the JPA in place.</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>
<P><FONT size=2>I think, if we add the last sentence to the
document </FONT><FONT size=2>I sent in to the ntia two years ago in the
name of the alac and make some minor changes we could reach a consensus paper to
send out today.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>best</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>annette</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>please have a look at our former statement:</FONT></P>
<P> </P>
<P>From: Annette Muehlberg </P>
<P>To: <DNSTransition@ntia.doc.gov></P>
<P>Date: Thu, Jul 6, 2006 12:20 PM</P>
<P>Subject: ALAC Comments to NTIA Consultation on Transition of DNS
Management</P>
<P>6 July 2006</P>
<P>Fiona Alexander</P>
<P>Office of International Affairs</P>
<P>National Telecommunications and Information Administration</P>
<P>1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.</P>
<P>Room 4701</P>
<P>Washington, DC 20230</P>
<P>Dear Ms. Alexander,</P>
<P>The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of the Internet Corporation for
Assigned</P>
<P>The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), mandated by ICANN bylaws to convey the
interests of global individual users, respectfully submits the following
comments regarding the transition of the technical coordination and management
of the Internet domain name and addressing system (Internet DNS).</P>
<P>ALAC is a global entity comprised of fifteen appointed members, three from
each of five geographic regions: Africa, Asia/Pacific/Australia, Europe, Latin
America/Caribbean Islands and North America. In addition, there are more than 40
organizations already accredited as "At-Large Structures (ALS)," which will
eventually form Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) that will function as a
bottom-up mechanism to support and engage in the ICANN policy process. As such,
ALAC would like to emphasize the critical importance of openness, inclusion,
transparency, and equal opportunity for all stakeholders of the world to share
in the affairs of the global Internet identifier systems that ICANN is tasked to
coordinate.</P>
<P>As the MoU between the US Government and ICANN expires in September this
year, ALAC wishes to underline the unique opportunity the occasion offers to
realize the original goals that led to the formation of ICANN. These include,
inter alia, acknowledgement of the international nature of ICANN, support of the
multi-stakeholder bottom-up approach to the management of ICANN, and the
provision of viable and stable channels for the involvement of individual
Internet users in the ICANN policy formation process. Measures must be
implemented to ensure non-discriminatory availability of ICANN/IANA services as
well as the opportunity for the involvement of global individual users in the
ICANN process.</P>
<P>In its role as the voice of the individual Internet users, ALAC firmly
believes that the current multi-stakeholder framework at ICANN should be further
strengthened to allow more proactive involvement of end-users. The process to
full participation of individual users through the ALAC/RALO (Regional At-Large
Organization) mechanism is being undertaken at this moment. There is, however, a
lack of incentives for the participants, especially a lack of direct involvement
at the decision-making levels of ICANN. Therefore, we think that ICANN should
find ways to implement adequate representation of individual users at the
decision-making levels of ICANN so that a real multi-stakeholder framework is
achieved.</P>
<P>In addition, we believe that no government should have a pre-eminent role in
DNS management and exercise power over database changes and root-server data. We
suggest that an institutional form should be found so that ICANN does not lie
under the authority of any single national legislation.</P>
<P>We also strongly advocate transparency and openness in the process of making
any structural change in the ICANN framework for the coming transition.</P>
<P>Respectfully submitted,</P>
<P>Annette Muehlberg</P>
<P>Chair</P>
<P>At-Large Advisory Committee</P>
<P>Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers</P>
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