huridocs-tech International Group Calls on ICANN to Preserve Postel's ccTLDs

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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## author     : BenSul@aol.com
## date       : 07.11.98
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International Group Calls on ICANN to Preserve Postel's
Policies for Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs)

BOSTON, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- An international group of
country code Top Level Domain Names (ccTLD) administrators
from around the world are calling for the preservation of
RFC 1591, the Internet domain name policies crafted for IANA
by Jon Postel in 1994.  RFC 1591 governs how ccTLDs they
received their delegation and administer their Top Level
Domain name registries.

The US Government recently moved to replace IANA with a new,
private corporation, the Internet Corporation of Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN). In a recent letter to the new
board of ICANN, Department of Commerce's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
asked ICANN to explain how it plans to set policies for the
currently-active 220 plus  ISO 3166 TLDs, also known as
country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs), (for example .CN --
China and .EG -- Egypt).

In response to the Commerce Department's query, the 62 ccTLD
administrators sent a letter today to Esther Dyson, Interim
Chairperson of ICANN,  Michael M. Roberts, Interim President
and CEO of ICANN and the ICANN Board of Directors declaring
that "So far 62 ccTLDs have answered "YES" to the question:
"Will you sign on to support RFC 1591?"  The letter further
stated that, "As of today, these 62 ccTLDs have publicly
stated their support for using RFC 1591 as the starting
point or basis for ICANN's continuing relationship with
ccTLDs by including RFC 1591 in ICANN's bylaws."

The group asked ICANN to include the following language in
its bylaws: "The ICANN agrees to continue to use RFC 1591 (
http://info.internet.isi.edu:80/in-
notes/rfc/files/rfc1591.txt ) for any and all actions it
takes, or any role it assumes, with regard to the two-letter
ISO 3166 TLDs commonly known as Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs)."

In 1994, these policies were documented in RFC 1591, and the
requirement was set by IANA that all ccTLDs must manage
their affairs under the terms of RFC 1591," ( see
http://www.iana.org/cctld.html ): "It is important that all
TLD administrators follow the guidelines of RFC 1591.  TLD
administrators should treat this stewardship responsibility
as a service to the global Internet community."

"We are asking for nothing more than the recognition and
maintenance of the current system under which all ccTLDs
have agreed to operate, as originally required by IANA, in
order to receive and maintain a ccTLD assignment," said
Antony Van Couvering, former president of NetNames USA and
an organizer of the effort to support the preservation of
RFC 1591.  "By doing so, ICANN will assure international
continuity and stability in the Internet's domain name
space".

Administrators for the following ISO 3166 domain name
registries worldwide (ccTLDs) support inclusion of RFC 1591
in ICANN's bylaws:

 .AI - Anguilla

.AM - Armenia (RIPE/CENTR Member)

.BI - Republic of Burundi

.BO - Bolivia

.BR - Brazil

.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

.EG - Egypt

.GD - Grenada

.GF - French Guiana

.GG - Guernsey

.GH - Ghana

.GM - The Gambia, West Africa

.GS - South Georgia and Sandwich Islands

.GT - Guatemala

.HN - Honduras

.JE - Jersey

.KW - Kuwait

.KZ - Kazakhstan

.LC - Saint Lucia

.LR - Liberia

.LS - Lesotho

.LY - Libya

.ML - Republic of Mali

.MP - Northern Mariana Islands

.MS - Montserrat

.MT - Malta

.MU - Mauritius

.MW - Malawi

.MX - Mexico

.NA - Namibia

.NU - Niue

.NZ - New Zealand

.PE - Peru

.PG - Papua New Guinea

.PH - Philippines

.PN - Pitcairn

.QA - Qatar

.RW - Republic of Rwanda

.SC - Seychelles

.SG - Singapore

.SV - El Salvador

.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

.VU - Vanuatu

.VG - Virgin Islands (British)

.ZW - Zimbabwe

 SOURCE  .NU Domain Ltd

CO:  .NU Domain Ltd

ST:  Massachusetts

IN:  CPR MLM

SU:

11/06/98 16:36 EST http://www.prnewswire.com



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