[CCWG-ACCT] Blog: The IANA Transition: The Work Ahead

[Grace Abuhamad]

We¹ll post this shortly on the CCWG¹s blog page
<https://community.icann.org/display/acctcrosscomm/Blogs> . Original link:
https://cdt.org/blog/the-iana-transition-the-work-ahead/

On 17 August, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
Lawrence Strickling announced
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2015/update-iana-transition>  that the US
government would be extending the IANA contract with ICANN through 30
September 2016. This long anticipated extension reflects the community¹s
need for additional time to accomplish a number of important tasks, in order
to bring about the IANA stewardship transition. The extension does not mean
that the community is not delivering on its commitments, but rather that the
process of ensuring appropriate consultation, refining proposals, securing
endorsement from the ICANN community, undergoing interagency review, etc.,
is going to take more time.
The extension is a welcome, practical, and necessary step that provides the
community with a realistic timeframe going forward while ensuring the
stability and continuity of the DNS. The extension reflects a ³best case²
timeline set out by the community in which it suggested that the
accountability-related requirements for the transition would only likely be
accomplished by July 2016 and that an extension to September 2016 would be
prudent. The work that needs to be accomplished between now and then is
considerable, as is shown in this timeline
<https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/assets/iana-stewardship-implement
ation-phases-19aug15-en.pdf> .
> The extension is a welcome, practical, and necessary step that provides the
> community with a realistic timeframe going forward while ensuring the
> stability and continuity of the DNS.
By the time of the ICANN meeting in Dublin in mid-October, the transition
and accountability proposals that are currently out for public comment
<https://cdt.org/blog/speak-up-on-the-iana-transition-and-icann-accountabili
ty/>  need to be finalized. Any substantive issues raised in the
consultations will need to be addressed by the community prior to the Dublin
meeting. Assuming that these and other issues can be resolved, the names
community will (hopefully) endorse the accountability proposal at the ICANN
meeting and the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) will
produce the final version of its transition proposal. Once the two proposals
are ready, it is expected that the ICANN Board will forward them to NTIA, at
the end of October or early November.
While the proposal package ­ both transition and accountability enhancements
­ undergoes scrutiny in the interagency and Congressional review processes,
the community cannot afford to rest. The Cross Community Working Group
(CCWG) Accountability proposal section on implementation and timing
<https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/53783460/Section%2010_Impl
ementation_FINAL.pdf?version=2&modificationDate=1438541030000&api=v2>
outlines the work that needs to be done and highlights the process that has
been initiated for drafting the bylaws that will be required to be in place
for the transition. Beyond this, however, there are no specific
implementation plans in place. Given the limited timeframe within which to
accomplish the work, a determination needs to be made quickly as to whether
the existing transition and accountability working groups will be addressing
implementation issues or if other working groups or mechanisms will need to
be established.
Work will also have to start addressing those accountability enhancements
that do not necessarily have to be in place for the transition, but that are
important to the increased accountability of the ICANN post-transition.
These issues ­ also outlined towards the end of the CCWG Accountability
proposal 
<https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/53783460/Section%209_Work%
20Stream%202_FINAL.pdf?version=2&modificationDate=1438540962000&api=v2>  ­
include refining operational aspects of the proposals that need to be in
place for the transition, looking at government participation in ICANN and
jurisdiction, as well as community accountability, transparency, diversity,
and human rights, among others. Issues such as government participation and
jurisdiction are complex and politically charged, and will no doubt engender
considerable debate.  The resulting proposal will also go through an
iterative drafting process as well as rounds of public comment.
Throughout the next year the community will need a lot of resolve and
stamina. The extension does not mean that there can be a let-up in effort ­
there is still much to be accomplished for the transition to occur by 30
September 2016.


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