Public Comments Requested on Initial Draft Fast-Track Mechanism [...]

TheIntroduction of a Limited Number of IDN ccTLDs Under A Fast Track Mechanism:DraftInitial Report of the IDNC Working Group [PDF, 43K]
Public Comments reqeusted by 26 February 2008

This is a first Discussion Draft of the Initial Report of the IDNC WorkingGroup (IDNC WG). It is published for comment and input from the ICANN community.This document has not been signed-off on by the IDNC Working Group whosemembers willcontinue to provide their own comments and input during this consultation period.

The IDNC WG was charted by ICANN's Board to develop and report on feasiblemethods, if any, that would enable the introduction, in a timely manner andin a manner that ensures the continued security and stability of the Internet,of a limited number of non-contentious IDN ccTLDs, associated with the ISO3166-1 two-letter codes (both the official code list of ISO 3166-1 and thelist of reserved ISO 3166-1 code elements), while the overall IDN ccTLD policyis being developed.

The scope of the IDNC WG is limited to developing feasible methods (for theintroduction of a limited number of IDN ccTLDs) that do not pre-empt the policyoutcomes of the IDN cc Policy Development Process (ccPDP) for which an IssueReport is currently being prepared. In preparing the ccPDP Issue Report, theIssue Manager will identify policies, procedures, and/or by-laws that needto be reviewed and, if necessary revised, in connection with the developmentand implementation of any IDN ccTLD policy. Further, the Issue Manager willtake into account the joint ccNSO GAC Issues Paper, input from other ICANNSupporting Organisations and Advisory Committees, public comments, technicallimitations and requirements including the IDNA Guidelines, and any other mattersthat the Issue Manager considers to be of relevance.

Under the IDNC WG charter, in considering feasible fast track methods, theIDNC WG must take into account and be guided by:

• The overarching requirement to preserve the security and stability ofthe DNS;
• Compliance with the IDNA protocols;
• Input and advice from the technical community in respect to the implementationof IDNs;
• Current practices for the delegation of ccTLDs.

The fast track approach requires two specific mechanisms which are addressedin this report:

1. A mechanism for the selection of the IDN ccTLD string (See Section 3of the report); and
2. A mechanism to designate an IDN ccTLD manager (See Section 4 of the report).

The purpose of this report is to inform and report to the community on thetopics and issues as identified by the IDNC WG that need to be considered indeveloping each of the two mechanisms, and to seek input and comments on them.This report, and the comments received, will be used to structure and proposepotential mechanisms in the next phase of the fast track (SeeSection 5 of the report for the Interim Report Schedule). As stated above,the outcome of the fast track cannot pre-empt the outcome of the ccPDP. Allof the issues/topics raised regarding the fast track mechanisms also are beingraised under the ccPDP. Thus, the solutions reached for the purposes of thefast track, out of necessity, have to be as limited as possible.

Comments on this report are encouraged to be submitted by 26 February 2008via email to idn-cctld-fast-track@icann.org. An archive of all comments receivedwill be publicly posted at http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-cctld-fast-track/.