ICANN Initiatives

ICANN's mission is to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier systems.^[1] Its core values are to reflect the functional, geographic, and cultural diversity of the Internet at all levels of policy development and decision-making; ensure a bottom-up, multistakeholder policy development process is used to ascertain the Global Public Interest; and make its processes accountable and transparent. ICANN's technical commitment is to maintain a single, global authoriative Root.^[2]

Its mission- and value-driven initiatives include policies, organizational additions, operational improvements, and other initiatives designed to ensure that ICANN's strategic commitment to its mission and core values is realized in its policies and actions.

A Stable Internet[edit | edit source]

Timeline of ICANN's efforts at stability: August 2000: "Successful TLD applications should 'preserve the stability of the Internet': They should eliminate or minimize the effects of technical failures in registry or registrar operations, and they should steer clear of anything that challenged ICANN’s position as proprietor of the root zone. Staff will favor TLDs that help advance the “proof of concept” ICANN sought, providing useful information regarding the feasibility and utility of different types of new TLDs, procedures for launching them, registry-registrar models, business models, and internal policy structures."^[3]^[4]

A Secure Internet[edit | edit source]

Timeline of security threats and reactions

A Unified, Global Internet[edit | edit source]

Performing Accountability & Transparency: Reviews at ICANN[edit | edit source]

Although the organization's core mission and values have remained largely consistent throughout the organization's existence, certain events have resulted in amendments to the ICANN Bylaws to more precisely define ICANN's mission and values. For example, the IANA Functions Stewardship Transition expanded ICANN's mission slightly (to incorporate the oversight of the IANA functions and the PTI) as well as the Affirmation of Commitments into ICANN's bylaws, memorializing the structure and rules for Specific Reviews.

All measures are in pixels

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Seeking Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion within ICANN[edit | edit source]

Timeline of DEI efforts at ICANN

A Single Authoritative Root[edit | edit source]

Timeline of ICANN's efforts to preserve and enhance the global interoperability, resilience, and openness of the DNS/Internet^[5]

Timeline of ICANN's efforts to withstand attempts at splintering the Internet and outlast competitors

References[edit | edit source]

[1] Section 1.1, ICANN Bylaws

[2] Section 1.2, ICANN Bylaws

[3] Criteria for Assessing TLD Proposals (Aug. 15, 2000)

[4] Jonathan Weinberg, "ICANN, 'Internet Stability,' and New Top Level Domains,' footnote 72

[5] Section 1.2, ICANN Bylaws

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