[CCWG-ACCT] I think I'm confused (was Re: Please review regarding IAB comments on Mission Statement)

[Andrew Sullivan]

Hi,

On Mon, Nov 02, 2015 at 02:41:06PM +0000, Burr, Becky wrote:
> I’d like to try to narrow the issues in play here, in the hopes of
> reaching closure.

Me too.  But I think I'm confused.  I'm totally prepared to believe
this is my fault.  Still, let's get clear on the baseline text.

> 4.  Collaborates with other bodies as appropriate to publish core
> registries needed for the functioning of the Internet.   In this role,
> with respect to protocol port and parameter numbers, ICANN’s Mission is to
> [to be provided by the IETF].

On reading, the "In this role…" portion of that struck me as really
strange, because the inclusion of specific community things in parts
of the mission was, I thought, exactly what we were trying to avoid.
I may have misunderstood some earlier exchanges.  After the exchange
with Malcolm, here's what I thought I was agreeing to:

    The Mission of The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
    Numbers ("ICANN") is to support, at the overall level, certain
    core Internet registries, and in particular to ensure the stable
    and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier systems.
    Specifically, ICANN:

    1.  Coordinates the allocation and assignment of names in the root
    zone of the Domain Name System ("DNS").  In this role, ICANN's
    mission is to coordinate the development and implementation of
    policies

    • For which uniform or coordinated resolution is reasonably
    necessary to facilitate the openness, interoperability,
    resilience, security and/or stability;

    • That are developed through a bottom-up, consensus-based
    multi-stakeholder process and designed to ensure the stable and
    secure operation of the Internet’s unique DNS-based name systems;

    2.  Coordinates the operation and evolution of the DNS root name
    server system;

    3.  Coordinates the allocation and assignment at the top-most
    level of Internet Protocol ("IP") and Autonomous System ("AS")
    numbers;

    4.  Collaborates with other bodies as appropriate to publish core
    registries needed for the functioning of the Internet.

This isn't absolutely perfect in my view, but I think it's pretty good
in that it expresses plainly and succinctly the specific things ICANN
does; and the top-most text is already limited.  (I can imagine
someone getting excited about "ensure the stable and secure operation
of the Internet's unique identifier systems", but I think that read in
conjunction with 1-5 is ok.)

Given your question, it seems that you want to have "In this role"
text for each number, which is how we get the formulation in your
question.  But the point of (4) in my version above is that it doesn't
admit of additional "in this role" text at all, because it simply says
that ICANN collaborates with those other bodies as needed.

For whatever it's worth, if the text instead needs to have an explicit
limitation provided by the OC in question, then the IETF's is bound to
be something like, "according to the MoU and supplemental agreements
between ICANN and the IETF and IAB, so long as those are in effect".
I am sceptical of a mission statement that includes direct references
to operational contracts that are updated approximately annually and
that could be terminated by some other party.  That doesn't sound like
a mission to me.  Is that really what you want?

A

-- 
Andrew Sullivan
ajs at anvilwalrusden.com