RD348 - ETNO Reflection Document - Response to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the US Department of Commerce on the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)

This is the ETNO response to the NTIA consultation on IANA functions. In ETNO’s view, the responsibilities of the IANA functions should remain as a whole within ICANN and not fall under any direct government oversight. We urge ICANN to work towards fully implementing the Affirmation of Commitments and its resulting recommendations for improvement and in our cover letter we ask the US government to act as a catalyst in this direction.

Executive Summary:

• ETNO agrees that preserving a stable and secure Internet Domain Name System and management of IP addresses is a top priority, and the IANA functions are critical in achieving that objective.
• ETNO believes that management of the IANA functions should transition from a Government oversight contractual responsibility to that of an independent organisation.
• ETNO believes that ICANN is best served to oversee the IANA function given the representation of all stakeholders within the organization and its specific responsibilities related to stability and security of the Internet which are embedded into its institutional documents.