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Preparation to become an accredited
Interest Group at ICANN
Background
In June 2008, the Board of
Directors endorsed a series of recommendations on how to improve the GNSO's
structures and operations. One of the significant drivers of those
recommendations was an interest in maximizing participation in the GNSO and its
policy development processes.
Based on this process the city top-level domain
initiatives of Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg, New York and Paris have
decided to file a request
to the ICANN Board to become accepted as a constituency. However,
the request is
has been denied
by the ICANN Board due to procedural changes but the idea stands and
the ICANN Board invited the city top-level domain initiatives
individually to participate in the relevant meetings and committees.
Mission of the
City Top-Level Domain
Interest Group
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To represent the views and interests of those who
are operating or planning to operate a top-level domain which is
based on a string that is associated with a city community.
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To be an advocate of city top-level domain
stakeholders and their interests in ICANN processes,
incorporating governments and authorities, businesses,
organizations, individuals and the general public interest of
cities.
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To promote international cooperation, networking,
and knowledge sharing among members and related stakeholders and
with ICANN.
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To ensure that ICANN policies are consistent with
the city’s vital interest and of a stable, secure and reliable
Internet.
Rationale for the
City Top-Level Domain
Interest Group
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cityTLDs are a reasonable expansion of the DNS,
since city identity is one of the oldest, strongest and most
popular ways that people identify themselves.
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Top-level domains for cities are an important
part of the evolution of the domain name system (DNS) and need
to be represented in the ICANN’s governance structure.
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Cities are global drivers of innovation and
progress, centers of social, economic and political power, and
are projected to contain two-thirds of the world’s population by
2030.
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cityTLD registries will have the support and
operate within the influence of cities; as well as the support
(or non objection) of their national government.
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cityTLDs not only offer the plain domain name
registration but also have a higher-order responsibility in the
allocation and structure of the city and the cities’ namespace.
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cityTLD registries will reflect the needs of city
residents and organizations and the CTLD Interest Group will enable its member
registries to represent these needs within the GNSO and ICANN
structures thereby representing city interests on the Internet’s
top-level.
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