At the yesterday’s meeting with American lawmakers on the problems of transition of DNS root zone to the Internet community, ICANN President Fadi Chehade made an important statement. He said that the issue of strengthening the role of Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) is «off the table».
Earlier on GAC representatives numerously complained that their opinion doesn’t play an important enough role when determining ICANN policy. To decline GAC recommendations, only simple majority of votes of the ICANN Board is required. Last August GAC-Board working group prepared a draft of the decision, in accordance with which to decline GAC recommendations, two thirds of the ICANN Board members have to vote against. Adoption of this decision till very recently seemed nearly inevitable. However, as it turned out, ICANN had other plans.
During the meeting yesterday Senator from Nebraska Deb Fischer asked Fadi Chehade isn’t the decision to strengthen GAC’s role inconsistent with ICANNs promises. By that she expressed the main concern of American lawmakers that fear that after the transition of DNS root zone from the US government to the institutions of Internet community, the control wii end up in hands of other governments. Fadi Chehade answered the question: «You are right, this would be incongruent with the stated goals [of the IANA transition]. The board has looked at that matter and has pushed it back. So it’s off the table.»
