On 27 December 2019, the Number Resource Organization (NRO), acting as the Address Supporting Organization (ASO), submitted the following correspondence to ICANN regarding the Internet Society’s proposed transfer of ownership of PIR, the .org registry, to Ethos Capital:
From: Oscar Robles-Garay
To: John Jeffrey
CC: Maarten Botterman
CC: Göran Marby
CC: ecadmin [at] icann.org
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)
The Inspection Request is publicly archived on the ICANN Empowered Community Administration mailing list here.
More information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Further information:
- The NRO/ASO’s role in the ICANN Empowered Community.
- ICANN Empowered Community Powers.
Last modified on 12/04/2021