<div dir="ltr">Dear Jordan,<div><br></div><div>Thanks for the pertinent question and the good framing. </div><div><br></div><div><i><font color="#0000ff">As a preliminary note, the thread you received in response is a clear explanation why this list is having problems: if people here cannot respect a minimum of netiquette and they veer off topic immediately as was the case here, this is extremely encouraging everyone to stay out ... including me at the moment. Better moderation is needed, or at least some peer pressure to encourage people to stay on topic.</font></i></div>
<div><br></div><div>Just a quick chime in nonetheless on the link between the two processes.</div><div><br></div><div>In a nutshell, the discussion on the transition of NTIA's role has highlighted that there are two distinct dimensions:</div>
<div><ul><li>the day-to-day operational "pressing the button" to send updates for implementation to Verisign, which is a function for which I think we can relatively easily find a simple, practical solution (even if there are various options) <br>
</li><li>and the much more important and delicate question of NTIA's role in attributing (and potentially rescinding!) the responsibility to handle the IANA functions to a particular entity, within a set of detailed specifications.<br>
</li></ul></div><div>This second issue is the one directly linked to the ICANN accountability track and raises at least three issues, roughly summarized here:<br></div><div><ul><li>who has ultimate authority to confer the responsibility to handle these tasks to a particular entity (and thus to choose it)? There are different views on this, including: the "customers" (I hate this term) of the IANA functions, the whole community (of Internet users or even humanity as a whole, as it is a global public interest function), governments (supposed to represent their citizens), etc... <br>
</li><li>how this mandate is concretely formalized if very different types of actors need to express their endorsement? a mutual affirmation of commitments, several "contracts" or MoUs, anything else...? <br></li>
<li>under which conditions and through what procedure(s) if any, should specific decisions be appealed, and more importantly the mandate potentially be modified, suspended or reallocated? <br></li></ul></div><div>The above is an unrefined quick input, but it helps me at least to understand why the question of ICANN's accountability has relevance to the discussion on NTIA's role transition - and how they are articulated. </div>
<div><br></div><div>That being said, this dimension of ICANN's accountability regarding the IANA functions should itself be distinguished from how ICANN is accountable in the other activities it conducts, including policy development, implementation by staff and Board decisions. There are of course connections too here, but the distinction is important if we do not want this discussion to basically end up opening everything about ICANN. And even for those who want to do that. </div>
<div><br></div><div>De facto, the announcement by NTIA raises a chain of questions. However interconnected and far reaching they may be, it is important to agree first on the useful distinctions to structure discussions.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I have always thought that a correct framing of issues is the indispensable prerequisite for addressing any of them in any meaningful manner. I hope the above is a useful - albeit rough - contribution in that regard and welcome suggestions to clarify and improve it. Provided they remain on topic, of course :-)</div>
<div><br></div><div>Best</div><div><br></div><div>Bertrand</div><div><br></div><div> </div><div><br></div><div> </div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1em;color:rgb(38,38,38)">
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<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 12:11 PM, Jordan Carter <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jordan@internetnz.net.nz" target="_blank">jordan@internetnz.net.nz</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">Is this list still active?<div><br></div><div>How are people feeling in the lead up to ICANN London about the responses of the organisation on the IANA transition process and the initial paper on ICANN accountability?</div>
<div><br></div><div>I think there have been some steps forward in terms of acknowledging feedback and changing the process in response, but more to be done esp in linking the two processes together, if I had to sum it up in a sentence.</div>
<div><br></div><div>What do others think?</div><div><br></div><div>bests,</div><div>Jordan<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr">Jordan Carter<br><br>Chief Executive <br>
<b>InternetNZ</b><br><br>04 495 2118 (office) | <a href="tel:%2B64%2021%20442%20649" value="+6421442649" target="_blank">+64 21 442 649</a> (mob)<br>
<a href="mailto:jordan@internetnz.net.nz" target="_blank">jordan@internetnz.net.nz</a> <br>Skype: jordancarter<br><br><i>To promote the Internet's benefits and uses, and protect its potential.</i><br><br></div>
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