Finally last night there was certainty:
The IANA Stewardship Transition will neither be stopped nor delayed further by the US government.
Cologne/Washington (USA), 29.09.2016 – The background to this announcement: The US Government announced in March last year their desire to give up their sole control over the IANA functions performed by ICANN, as long as the global community could put forward an appropriate proposal. This proposal was put forward in March, 2016 after the unparalleled efforts of hundreds of tireless representatives of a range of stakeholders from industry, governments, the civil society and the academic sector.
On 9 June 2016, the US Department of Commerce telecommunications authority, the NTIA, announced their decision to allow the contract with ICANN to expire at the end of September, so long as nothing unexpected were to happen. With this the NTIA confirmed – after a thorough examination – that the proposal put forward by the multi-stakeholder community meets their requirements, and ICANN can be allowed its independence.
Resistance by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz
But it was a close thing. Only last night, the US government’s budget for the next three months was passed. The Republican Senator Ted Cruz in particular, and recently Donald Trump as well, had campaigned for the US government not to relinquish their supervisory role – something which could have been achieved with relevant budget restrictions and instructions to the administration.
“I am relieved that the IANA Stewardship Transition was not stopped by political power-play in the budget negotiations. That would have played into the hands of those who wish to see a fragmentation of the Internet and an increase in state supervision”, says Lawyer Thomas Rickert, Director of Names & Numbers in the eco Association, who took a leading role in the development of the community proposal.
More information is expected in early October, when the IANA-Stewardship Transition has taken effect.
For further information first hand and media relations please contact: thomas.mueller@eco.de
