Comments to US Government on Joint Project Agreement with ICANN

By Robin Gross – (15 February 2008)

The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is consulting with the public regarding its Joint Project Agreement (JPA) review with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).  ICANN argues that it should be cut-lose from the only oversight it currently knows in the ongoing debate over who governs Cyberspace.  

I submitted my statement from the 31st public ICANN Meeting at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India.  I said that ICANN has not provided for sufficient representation of Internet users in its policy making process, nor has it committed to respecting human rights in Cyberspace, although it has made progress to become more international.

All comments submitted so far are available for viewing from NTIA’s website.  Interesting comments were submitted by the Internet Society, Milton Mueller, Karl Auerbach, and the Center for Democracy and Technology.

The NTIA is also holding a public hearing on the JPA’s mid-term review on 28 February 2008 (9:00am – 12pm EST) in Washington, DC.  

Our Indian hosts provided wonderful local dance entertainment during the ICANN New Delhi Meeting’s Opening Gala.  Here’s a photo from the Opening Gala at the New Delhi ICANN meeting: