Right now there’s a flurry of news items, blog posts and comments on an event the global Internet community was expecting sometime this year: the NTIA (National Communications and Information Administration, under the US Department of Commerce) has just published its “IANA Stewardship Transition Proposal Assessment Report“. As a member of the ICG (IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group), but writing here in a personal capacity, I am pleased to bring the following points to the attention of our Members:
- The Transition Proposal sent on 10th of March 2016 by the ICG to the NTIA “satisfies the four criteria” set out by the US Administration: 1) Support and enhance the multistakeholder model; 2) Maintain the security, stability, and resiliency of the Internet DNS; 3) Meet the needs and expectations of the global customers and partners of the IANA services; 4) Maintain the openness of the Internet.
- The Assessment Report, just published by the NTIA, is the result of an extensive inter-agency examination and appraisal throughout the Obama Administration. Viewed from outside the USA, this fact adds another layer of authority to the Assessment Report.
- After a cursory look at the 26-page document, it seems that the Assessment Report accepts the ICG Proposal without reservations (but this requires careful analysis).
- In addition to accepting the ICG proposal, the Assessment Report vindicates the principles and processes we set up in the ICG.
For Internet users outside North America, placing the Assessment Report in context may be of some interest: the outgoing Administration seems keen to leave a legacy in Internet matters, at a time when the Presidential Primaries are in full swing; the Multistakeholder Model (MSM) enjoys wide support, but has its opponents (some sovereign states, some intergovernmental bodies…), and seems to need a boost; the alternative to MSM, e.g. several parallel Internets, must be avoided.
The next step? The worldwide Internet community now awaits decisions in Washington regarding the implementation of the ICG Proposal.