Fadi's just made an intervention at the start of the IANA panel where he said that next week, ICANN would be launching the accountability part of the discussion - the complementary piece to the IANA transition stuff.<div>
<br></div><div>He emphasised the close relationship that he sees between the two, and his hope that these would conclude together.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said that he wishes both had been launched at the same time.</div>
<div><br></div>It seems to me - and I am speaking as an individual, this is not my organisation's position - that if next week's release includes some kind of document that explicitly relates the two pieces of work and shows how they interact, and that ties the scope for each into an overall picture of what will allow the transition plan to proceed, we would all be much better off than we are today.<div>
<br></div><div>If issues of IANA separation options aren't on the table in the narrowly scoped IANA transition piece, they certainly will be in the broader accountability piece.</div><div><br></div>Speaking personally again, it would seem imperative that the accountability stuff be sorted out *before* the NTIA contract ends and the transition happens for the IANA functions.<div>
<br></div><div>It remains a mystery as to why ICANN has spent the past few weeks not being clearer about this linkage. I think it would have helped the temper of the discussion if they had been - and it wouldn't have been anything other than a joining up exercise, based on the initial notions floated in Singapore.</div>
<div><br></div><div>If we can all be assured that a transition plan for the IANA functions is dependent on community acceptance of the accountability improvements the community develops, then I think that too will reduce the concerns of some, myself included.</div>
<div><br></div><div>That would be a good thing, because if we want to get this sorted by Sept 2015 (which I certainly do), then wasting energy arguing about things there's no need to argue about is best avoided.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Jordan�</div><div><br></div><div>...speaking as an individual.</div><div><br></div><div>--�</div>Jordan Carter<div>Chief Executive, InternetNZ</div><div><br></div><div>+64 21 442 649 / <a href="mailto:jordan@internetnz.net.nz">jordan@internetnz.net.nz</a></div>
<br><br>-- <br>-- <br>Jordan Carter<br>Chief Executive, InternetNZ<p>+64-21-442-649 | <a href="mailto:jordan@internetnz.net.nz">jordan@internetnz.net.nz</a><p>Sent on the run, apologies for brevity<br></p></p>