http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-22nov10-en.htm Public Comment: Proposed Changes to Enhance ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Evaluation Process 22 November 2010 The community is invited to provide comments on proposed measures to enhance ICANN's registrar accreditation evaluation process. Specifically, ICANN is seeking public comment on: 1. A proposed set of terms and conditions [PDF, 214 KB] for the registrar accreditation application; 2. The scope of additional proposed due diligence checks; 3. A proposed increase to the registrar accreditation application fee as a consequence of the need for ICANN to conduct additional information searches to support the additional due diligence checks. Background/Explanation of Proposed Measures ICANN assesses whether an applicant is eligible to become an ICANN-accredited registrar according to the qualification criteria set out in the Statement of Registrar Accreditation Policy. The current accreditation evaluation process includes a review of supporting documents and verification of information submitted by each applicant against the qualification criteria, in order to determine if the applicant has sufficient technical, operational and financial capabilities to become an ICANN-accredited registrar. ICANN also conducts a background search of the applicant through public sources, which may provide information or reveal issues that could have a material impact on the applicant's ability to operate a registrar business in accordance with ICANN's requirements. Terms and Conditions In order to enhance the accreditation process, ICANN recently adopted a new version of the Accreditation Application Form and amended the section "Information for Registrars and Registrants" published on its website. To provide further clarity on the respective obligations of the applicant and ICANN in relation to the registrar accreditation applications, ICANN proposes to introduce a set of terms and conditions that will apply to all registrar accreditation applications. A copy of the proposed terms and conditions is available here [PDF, 214 KB]. Additional Due Diligence Checks In addition, members of the community, including representatives of law enforcement agencies, have recommended a number of areas where ICANN should focus further due diligence checks of applicants during the registrar accreditation application process, including: * Criminal records; * Credit records; * Financial history and solvency; * Corporate/company structure and ownership. These due diligence checks would require ICANN to complete these inquiries through the use of external resources (including reputable commercial third party information service providers). Proposed Increase in Registrar Accreditation Application Fee In order to cover the additional third party search costs, ICANN proposes to increase the application fee for all new registrar accreditation applications (on a cost recovery basis) from the current fee of USD 2,500 to USD 3,500. The Process From Here: At the end of this Public Comment period, ICANN staff will analyze the comments received and determine the appropriate steps and arrangements that will be required to introduce the terms and conditions and implement any proposed additional due diligence checks and the resulting fee increase for registrar accreditation applications. Deadline and How to Submit Comments: Staff is opening a 60-day public consultation forum, from 22 November 2010 through 21 January 2011 and invites community comments concerning these proposed measures. * The formal Public Comment Forum Box is located here: http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-201101-en.htm#registra... * To submit comments: registrar-accredit-eval@icann.org * To view comments: http://forum.icann.org/lists/registrar-accredit-eval/ Staff Responsible: Steve Gobin Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org