| p>MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers today made its formal submission to the Midterm Review of
the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between ICANN and the United States Department
of Commerce.
The submission's main point is that the conclusion of the JPA would be a
further step in the transition envisioned since ICANN was established - one
of moving the Domain Name System to private-sector co-ordination.
"Ending the JPA will provide long-term stability and security for a model
that works," stated Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush in the ICANN Board submission.
"It will provide confidence to all participants that the investment of time,
thought and energy for over nine years has secured an Internet coordination
body that will always be owned by all stakeholders, not managed or overseen
by any one entity."
The U.S. Government has been committed to the transition of the DNS to the
private sector since 1998. Over this time there have been seven Memorandums
of Understanding between ICANN and the USG, and 13 status reports measuring
ICANN's progress.
The submission also states that the completion of the JPA will clearly signal
that JPA and the MOUs before it have been successful.
"This success should be commemorated," Dengate Thrush stated in the Board's
submission.
ICANN's Board is encouraging the Internet Community to take part in the Midterm
Review before the 15 February 2008 deadline for submissions.
If you continue to believe, in full transition of the domain name system
to the private sector, and in an Internet that is co-ordinated not controlled,
now is the time to say so and be a part of the next step in that transition.
ICANN's entire submission
to the Midterm Review [PDF,101K] including a table outlining
the organization's achievements on the 10
responsibilities of the JPA [PDF, 469K], is publicly
available at http://icann.org.
A link to the Department of Commerce's Midterm Review is available online
at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/ICANN_JPA_110207.html.
About ICANN:
ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system
of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes
like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help
computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources
is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly
to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability.
ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For
more information please visit: www.icann.org.
Media
Contacts:
Jason Keenan
Media Adviser, ICANN
Ph: +1 310 382 4004
E: jason.keenan@icann.org
International: Andrew Robertson
Edelman (London)
Ph: +44 7921 588 770
E: andrew.robertson@edelman.com | 
