The US government wants the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers (ICANN) to work faster in reviewing the security of the
root server system and has said that the private group, charged
with managing the Domain Name System for the Internet, has made
little progress in achieving that goal.
That was one of a number of recommendations included in an
agreement released extending US support for ICANN by one year - its
fourth extension since ICANN's creation in 1998.
The extension, however, was accompanied by strong criticism of
ICANN's operation. Nancy Victory, assistant secretary of commerce
for communications and information at the Commerce Department, said
she is "frankly disappointed" with ICANN's progress in
accomplishing the tasks outlined in the earlier agreements.
Even so, Victory said ICANN's efforts at reform offer "substantial
justification for affording ICANN a limited amount of additional
time to achieve" the task outlined in the latest memorandum of
understanding.
In a nod to ICANN's critics, Victory acknowledged that ICANN should
serve as a technical coordinating body and not Internet
policy-maker. "ICANN should not be the government of the Internet,"
said Victory.
The US agreement outlines the "challenges" facing the organisation.
It cites the need for ICANN to implement a process to resolve
disputes, something called for in the group's bylaws. It also seeks
improvements in public participation as well as in the way new top
level domains are selected.
Announcing the agreement, US officials said the next year will "be
a critical period for ICANN" and its efforts will be closely
monitored by the Commerce Department. The agreement requires
quarterly progress reports.
Although critical of ICANN's progress in meeting certain goals, the
Bush administration credited efforts of ICANN president Stuart Lynn
to reform the organisation's structure and processes.
ICANN officials were pleased with the extension and Mary Hewitt,
the organisation's spokeswoman, said the agreement is "telling us
that we need to be less mired in process and more
goal-oriented".
Alternatives to ICANN's stewardship are not obvious, experts in
this area have said, but could involve resumption of government
control of the Domain Name System.