<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><div>View the original announcement here: <a href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en">https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en</a> </div><div><br></div><div><h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 500 !important; font-size: 1.31rem; margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); padding: 0px 0px 1rem; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(207, 207, 207); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Public Comment Invited: Enhancing <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> Accountability Process</h1><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style u-text-xxxl" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.62rem; margin-bottom: 30px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a class="addthis_button_linkedin u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b" href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&winname=addthis&pub=ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89&source=tbx32-300&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fannouncement-08-2014-09-05-en&title=Public%20Comment%20Invited%3A%20Enhancing%20ICANN%20Accountability%20Process%20-%20ICANN&ate=AT-ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89/-/-/540a507d17139d44/2&frommenu=1&uid=540a507d268b717a&ct=1&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" target="_blank" title="LinkedIn" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-linkedin" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><a class="addthis_button_facebook u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b" title="Facebook" href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en#" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-facebook" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><a class="addthis_button_twitter u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b" title="Tweet" href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en#" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-twitter" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><a class="addthis_button_sinaweibo u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b" href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&winname=addthis&pub=ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89&source=tbx32-300&lng=en-US&s=sinaweibo&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fannouncement-08-2014-09-05-en&title=Public%20Comment%20Invited%3A%20Enhancing%20ICANN%20Accountability%20Process%20-%20ICANN&ate=AT-ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89/-/-/540a507d17139d44/3&frommenu=1&uid=540a507d39f64bec&ct=1&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" target="_blank" title="Sina Weibo" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-weibo" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><a class="addthis_button_email u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300b" target="_blank" title="Email" href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en#" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-envelope-o" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><a class="addthis_button_compact u-linkClean u-colorGrey at300m" href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-08-2014-09-05-en#" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none !important; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 7.5px; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i class="fa fa-plus" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-style: normal; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 1.2rem; "></i></a><div class="atclear" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; "></div></div><div id="_atssh" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 1px; height: 1px; border: 0px !important; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; visibility: hidden; position: absolute; z-index: 100000; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><iframe id="_atssh7" title="AddThis utility frame" src="https://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/sh171.html#iit=1409962109830&tmr=load%3D1409962108955%26core%3D1409962109516%26main%3D1409962109824%26ifr%3D1409962109836&cb=0&cdn=1&chr=UTF-8&kw=&ab=-&dh=www.icann.org&dr=&du=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icann.org%2Fnews%2Fannouncement-08-2014-09-05-en&dt=Public%20Comment%20Invited%3A%20Enhancing%20ICANN%20Accountability%20Process%20-%20ICANN&dbg=0&md=0&cap=tc%3D0%26ab%3D0&inst=1&vcl=2&jsl=33&prod=undefined&lng=en-US&ogt=&pc=men&pub=ra-52fcc7eb243d6d89&ssl=1&sid=540a507d17139d44&srpl=1&srcs=1&srd=1&srf=1&srx=1&ver=300&xck=0&xtr=0&og=&aa=0&csi=undefined&rev=4.0&ct=1&xld=1&xd=1" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; z-index: 100000; border-width: 0px; left: 0px; top: 0px; "></iframe></div><div class="EmbeddedHTML" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><table class="convey" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 1rem auto; width: 750px; border: 1px solid rgb(239, 239, 239); "><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box; "><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; "><td class="light" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; ">Forum Announcement:</strong></td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; ">Comment Period Opens on</td><td class="light" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; ">Date:</strong></td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; ">6 September 2014</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; "><td class="light" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; ">Categories/Tags:</strong></td><td colspan="3" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; ">Transparency/Accountability</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; "><td class="light" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; ">Purpose (Brief):</strong></td><td colspan="3" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; "><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">Due to both the critical crossroad <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> is at now and the considerable work that needs to be done to achieve the anticipated <abbr title="Internet Assigned Numbers Authority" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">IANA</abbr> Functions Stewardship Transition, <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> has launched a 21-day Public Comment period starting 6 September 2014, to consider the <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/process-next-steps-2014-08-14-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(33, 123, 192); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Enhancing <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> Accountability and Governance Process</a> posted on 14 August, in conjunction with the stewardship transition.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">The decision to post this comment period is based on 3 factors:</p><ol style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; "><li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; "><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">A request from the community for more time to discuss with their constituencies the process posted, allowing for a broader consideration of the process before moving ahead.</p></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; "><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">The emphasis made by the U.S. government at <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr>'s Town Hall Meeting at the Internet Governance Forum (<abbr title="Internet Governance Forum" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">IGF</abbr>) in Istanbul that the enhancement of<abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr>'s accountability mechanisms be narrowly focused on those related to the <abbr title="Internet Assigned Numbers Authority" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">IANA</abbr> Functions Stewardship Transition, that is reiterating its focus is on the changing historical contractual relationship with the US, and that both the transition and accountability processes be delivered simultaneously by September 2015 when the <abbr title="Internet Assigned Numbers Authority" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">IANA</abbr> contract expires.</p></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; "><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">Consideration of recent questions submitted by <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> community leaders, requesting clarification on several issues concerning the posted process.</p></li></ol><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">The Enhancing <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> Accountability mechanisms will remain operational through this comment period but will not address the substantive issues of enhancing<abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" style="box-sizing: border-box; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; cursor: help; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s; ">ICANN</abbr> accountability in the absence of the U.S. Government contract until the end of the 21-day public comment period. Any changes to the process structure instituted following the 21-day public comment period will be implemented accordingly.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">Your participation is important.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4rem; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; ">In light of the opening of this public comment period, the first meeting of the Cross Community Group, announced for 15 September 2014, will proceed as an informational call. No chartering or Coordination Group selection will occur during the informational session.</p></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; "><td class="light" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); "><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; ">Public Comment Box Link:</strong></td><td colspan="3" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.75rem 0px 0.75rem 0.75rem; vertical-align: top; "><a href="https://www.icann.org/public-comments/enhancing-accountability-2014-09-05-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(33, 123, 192); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">https://www.icann.org/public-comments/enhancing-accountability-2014-09-05-en</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></body></html>