Ominous update on the IANA transition

[Sam Lanfranco]

Carlos,

Thanks for your comment and flagging the issues of an outside 
international oversight body, the  ombudsmans (ombudspersons?) office, 
and the possibility of another office within ICANN to address “these 
strategic challenges”. Here are some quick comments from the small to 
the big in terms of challenges here.

In terms of the choice between the ombudsman and some other new ICANN 
office, my personal view is to prefer the ombudsman, and not just 
because it would be less expensive in a time of serious ICANN budget 
constraints (another challenge). I find it hard to envision a new ICANN 
office dealing with DNS strategic challenges where that office would not 
become a lightening rod for a wide variety of external forces interested 
in issues that would amount to pressure for ICANN scope creep. As well, 
administrative theory and evidence suggests that a new office, in and of 
itself, would risk scope creep within its own work agenda, to bolster 
its existence, especially in times of constrained budgets.

As for an international (outside) oversight body, for me the core issues 
are: (a) what principles are to be upheld; (b) keeping clear what should 
be inside the ICANN DNS system remit; and (c) what within the DNS system 
should be addressed elsewhere. The primary role of an oversight body is 
to hold an entity accountable to its remit. How does that get defined in 
a way that an oversight body: (i) doesn’t foster scope creep by asking 
ICANN to be accountable for the wrong things, and (ii) helps re-direct 
DNS concerns (especially content and intellectual property issues) to 
other appropriate venues?

Sam L.
/
On 05/05/2015 11:35 AM, Carlos A. Afonso wrote:
/
> /Dear Sam,
>
> Powerful message indeed. ICANN needs an outside international oversight
> body which would, among other tasks, decidedly help in tackling these
> strategic challenges.
>
> But we (NCSG?) seem to agree on this oversight being reduced to an
> office within ICANN. What would be the real difference between this
> office and the ombudsman? My answer: the ombudsman is much cheaper.
>
> fraternal regards
>
> --c.a./

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