ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

March 3, 2000

Ms Esther Dyson
Chairman
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
United States of America

Dear Ms Dyson;

Based on the strong and continuing support for RFC 1591 among ccTLDs as the primary and best set of principles for assigning and managing ccTLDs, we have drafted and hereby submit to ICANN for its consideration what we consider to be the most appropriate set of Draft Best Practices for delegating and managing ccTLDs.

It is the purpose of this Alternative Best Practices Draft to use RFC 1591, the current basis of delegations and activities of ccTLDs, as the foundation for more completely defining the obligations of ccTLD Managers in the management of domains, and to clarify the role of IANA/ICANN in supervising the management of ccTLDs.

It is important to note that the two other draft best practices documents submitted to ICANN do not preserve this basic foundation of RFC 1591, and give little or no role to IANA/ICANN as a result. In addition, the CENTR proposal includes no mechanism for enforcement for its Best Practices, and appears to depend upon the GAC draft for that purpose.

Our intent is to lay out objective standards for the qualification as ccTLD Managers and for the performance of the function, including a fair and supportive enforcement mechanism. We believe the Alternative Best Practices Draft does just that.

The Alternative Best Practices Draft, based on RFC 1591, further clarifies the obligations of the ccTLD Managers to the global Internet and to their respective local communities, along with details concerning the regulatory regime established by ICANN, based on ICP-1, to guarantee not simply that ccTLD Managers will comply with the requirements, but that the ccTLD Managers will be able to operate their respective domains with vigor and reliability, free from arbitrary governmental intervention, and relying on a set of procedural principles founded on the concept of due process of law and fair, predictable, and open regulation.

We look forward to presenting the Alternative Best Practices Draft based on RFC 1591 to the ICANN Board and to the wider Internet Community in Cairo and during the next several weeks. Please distribute the attached copy to members of the ICANN Board of Directors as well as to any other interested parties.

Best wishes,

Drafting Committee, the Alternative Best Practices Draft based on RFC 1591

Nii Quaynor, .GH, AFTLD founding member
Antony Van Couvering, President, IATLD
Peter DeBlanc, .VI, NATLD founding member
Oscar Robles, .MX, LACTLD founding member
J. William Semich, .NU, APTLD executive committee member

The following ccTLDs indicated they support continuation of RFC 1591 when queried in May, 1999:

.AI - Anguilla; .AG - Antigua and Barbuda; .AM - Armenia ; .BI - Republic of Burundi; .BM (Bermuda); .BO - Bolivia; .BR - Brazil; .BY- Belarus; .CC - Cocos & Keeling Islands; .CD - Democratic Republic of the Congo; .CG - Republic of the Congo; .CL - Chile; .CN - China; .CR - Costa Rica; .CV - Cape Verde Islands; .DO - Dominican Republic; .DZ - Algeria; .EC - Ecuador; .EG - Egypt; .ER - Eritrea; .FK - Falkland Islands (Malvinas); .GD - Grenada; .GF - French Guiana; .GG - Guernsey; .GH - Ghana; .GM - The Gambia, West Africa; .GP - Guadeloupe; .GS - South Georgia and Sandwich Islands; .GT - Guatemala; .HM - Heard and McDonald Islands; .HN - Honduras; .ID - Indonesia; .JE - Jersey; .JO - Jordan; .KW - Kuwait; .KY - Cayman Islands; .KZ - Kazakhstan; .LA - Lao People's Democratic Republic; .LB - Lebanon; .LC - Saint Lucia; .LR - Liberia; .LS - Lesotho; .LY - Libya; .ML - Republic of Mali; .MM - Myanmar; .MN - Mongolia; .MP - Northern Mariana Islands; .MS - Montserrat; .MT - Malta; .MU - Mauritius; .MW - Malawi; .MX - Mexico; .MY - Malaysia; .NA - Namibia; .NU - Niue.; .NZ - New Zealand; .PE - Peru; .PG - Papua New Guinea; .PH - Philippines; .QA - Qatar; .RW - Republic of Rwanda; .SB - Solomon Islands; .SC - Seychelles; .SG - Singapore; .SV - El Salvador; .SZ - Swaziland; .TC - Turks and Caicos Islands; .TF - French Southern Territories; .TJ - Tajikistan; .TO - Tonga; .TT - Trinidad and Tobago; .UA - Ukraine; .UG - Uganda; .UY - Uruguay; .UZ - Uzbekistan; .VE - Venezuela; .VI - US Virgin Islands; .VU - Vanuatu; .VG - Virgin Islands (British); .YU - Yugoslavia; .ZW - Zimbabwe

Attachment: Alternate Best Practices Draft, v2.0 (5 March 2000)