Greetings,

Oscar Robles-Garay, Chair of the NRO Executive Council, via the Address Supporting Organisation as a Decisional Participant within the Empowered Community, recently submitted the following to John Jeffrey, the ICANN Corporate Secretary:

ICANN Secretary,

The 5 Regional Internet address Registries (RIRs) have participated in ICANN since its inception, collectively in the names of the NRO (Number Resource Organization) and the ASO (Address Supporting Organization).

With the recent ASO Review, the NRO communities reaffirmed our relationship with ICANN as a critical component of the global Internet Governance ecosystem, and our participation in ICANN as a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community.

The NRO has reviewed recent events surrounding the proposal by ISOC to transfer the ownership of PIR, the .org Registry, to Ethos Capital. While we do not normally engage in policy matters related to the DNS, we consider ICANN’s handling of this proposal to be an important Internet governance decision, with bearing on the community’s trust in ICANN, and the legitimacy of the ICANN model.

We have therefore agreed to issue an Inspection Request to ICANN (as follows), in the name of the ASO as a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community.  We believe that confirming the process that will be used for review of the assignment of the .org registry agreement, including the extent of public input into that process, will enhance the transparency of the decision making and strengthen public trust in ICANN.

Request:

“As a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community and pursuant to ICANN Bylaws section 22.7, the ASO hereby submits this Inspection Request to inspect the records of ICANN, including minutes of the Board or any Board Committee, for the purpose of determining whether the ASO's may have need to use its empowered community powers in the near future relating to the potential assignment of the .org Registry Agreement.  For this purpose, the ASO seeks to inspect any ICANN records which pertain to or provide relevant insight to the process by which ICANN will consider (and potentially approve) the assignment of the .org Registry Agreement, including the process by which input from the affected community will be obtained prior to ICANN’s consideration and potential approval of the assignment.”

Best Regards,

Oscar Robles-Garay
Chair of the NRO EC
(On behalf of the ASO as a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community)

So what does this mean?

Basically, the ASO, as a Decisional Participant, has exercised their right under Section 22.7 of the ICANN Bylaws to request background information, consistent with the limitations present in Section 22, regarding Board and ICANN org correspondence, memoranda, etc., with respect to ICANN’s involvement with what is generally known as the “.org transfer”.

No immediate action is required of the ccNSO Council at this time with regards to the action the ASO has taken as a Decisional Participant.  The purpose of this email to you is strictly informational.  You need to be aware of this action by a fellow Decisional Participant.

Writing in a purely personal capacity, I offer a few observations. 

First, it’s apparent that via this action on the part of the NRO’s via their participation in the ASO, they are really NOT happy with recent developments with respect to .org.

Second, I believe that what the NRO, via the ASO, has initiated is a major stress test of the ICANN Bylaws; I cannot predict that outcome…

Third, I see no reason for the ccNSO (and especially the Council, lacking a consultative effort with the membership) to weigh in on this matter at this time.

Best Regards,

/Stephen