IE Domain Registry t/a .IE

Global coordination ICANN’s role is to oversee the huge and complex interconnected network of unique identifiers that allow computers on the internet to find one another. ICANN was formed in 1998. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, it is a not-for-profit partnership of people from all over the world dedicated to keeping the internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the internet’s unique identifiers. ICANN does not control content on the internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn’t deal with access to the internet. But through its coordination role of the internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the internet. ICANN has external as well as internal accountabilities. Externally, ICANN is an organisation incorporated under the law of the State of California in the United States, so it can be sued in court. ICANN is also a non-profit public benefit corporation and its directors are legally responsible for upholding their duties under corporate law. Internally, ICANN is accountable to the community through its bylaws, and its representative composition of the ICANN Board from across the globe. On 6 January 2017, an extremely important change in the governance of the DNS took place, with the completion of the transition of the IANA stewardship to ICANN. Governments can participate via the Government Advisory Committee (GAC). At the ICANN 52 meeting in Singapore in February 2015, the GAC welcomed Ireland, Kazakhstan and Mauritania as new GAC members. Membership of this influential committee was a major milestone for Ireland Inc in 2015, as it gives Ireland a voice on trans-national internet policy matters. The legislative framework in Ireland The legislative framework in Ireland is well developed. The Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2007 came into force in 2007. This Act essentially transfers the powers previously available to the Minister for Communications under the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (but never exercised by him) to ComReg, with some limited but important amendments and additions. As an input into the process of developing a potential regulatory framework for .ie, ComReg launched a public consultation process on the .ie namespace and published its formal Response to Consultation, Document 09/01. ComReg’s related press release stated that: ▶ ComReg will, by way of regulation, appoint .IE as the authority authorised to register .ie domain names in accordance with Section 32(4) (a) of the Act of 2007 ▶ .IE will set up and maintain a Policy Advisory Committee representative of all stakeholders with a focus on more transparent policy development ▶ .IE will continue to adopt the “managed approach” to .ie registrations to ensure continued protection for .ie domain name holders and consumers. In this context, the Company looks forward to a continuing effective working relationship with ComReg. History of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) The IGF was established by the United Nations following the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2006. The UN’s ten-year review concluded successfully with the adoption of the WSIS+10 Resolution on 16 December 2015. It reaffirmed three core elements of the ‘Tunis compromise’: First, it extended the IGF mandate for a further 10 years and reaffirmed its underlying architecture, meaning that internet governance is addressed under the UN umbrella, but in a multi-stakeholder manner. Second, it retained the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders as outlined in the Tunis Agenda. Third, it maintained the element of ambiguity around an enhanced cooperation arrangement, which allows for different interpretations. While there is no negotiated outcome, the IGF informs and inspires those with policy-making power in both the public and private sectors. Corporate Governance IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2020 17