Introduction

The Public Comments page can be found here.

ICANN staff is seeking comments on the draft Final Report [PDF, 437 KB] of the Internationalized Registration Data Working Group (IRD-WG).

On 26 June 2009 the Board of Directors of the Internet Corporate for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a resolution (2009.06.26.18: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-26jun09.htm#6) requesting that the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) and the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC), in consultation with staff, convene an Internationalized Registration Data Working Group (IRD-WG) comprised of individuals with knowledge, expertise, and experience in these areas to study the feasibility and suitability of introducing display specifications to deal with the internationalization of registration data. Subsequently, the SSAC and the GNSO formed the IRD-WG. The IRD-WG produced an Interim Report requesting community input on several questions relating to possible models for internationalizing Domain Name Registration Data. See http://gnso.icann.org/issues/ird/ird-wg-final-report-15nov10-en.pdf [PDF, 686 KB]. Now the IRD-WG has provided a draft Final Report in response to the Board's request. ICANN staff is seeking comments on this draft Final Report [PDF, 437 KB].
DRAFT ALAC Statement on Internationalized Registration Data - DRAFT.pdf

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A PDF copy of this statement can be downloaded here.

ALAC STATEMENT ON FINAL REPORT OF INTERNATIONALIZED REGISTRATION DATA WORKING GROUP

The ALAC endorses the three (3) recommendations of the WG and adopt them to our framework of principles intended to promote and safeguard the public interest.  These recommendations reinforce our own commitment to support mechanisms that nourish accountability at every level of the Internet ecosystem, specifically those which provide some measure of assurance that all actors in the internet ecosystem can be addressed for redress of grievance.

The ALAC is on record for support of a WHOIS dataset and management protocol that is fit to purpose.   In this context, we have consistently supported the implementation of a WHOIS service within the spirit, if not the letter, of the existing Registrar Accreditation Agreement.  Coming on the increasing numbers of users from places and cultures whose ordinary language for communication use non-ASCII characters, we are emphatic that these users be relieved of any perceived disability and offered the same protections we seek for traditional ASCII-based scripts and Latinized languages on the Internet.  Established standards are extremely important to furtherance of this vision.

In our view, the recommendations below are eminently sensible and deserve our full support:

“Recommendation 1: ICANN staff should develop, in consultation with the community, a data model for domain registration data. The data model should specify the elements of the registration data, the data flow, and a formal data schema that incorporates the standards that the working group has agreed on for internationalizing various registration data elements. This data model should also include tagging information for language/scripts.

 

Recommendation 2: The GNSO council and the SSAC should request a common Issue Report on translation and transliteration of contact information. The Issue Report should consider whether it is desirable to translate contact information to a single common language or transliterate contact information to a single common script. It should also consider who should bear the burden and who is in the best position to address these issues. The Issue Report should consider policy questions raised in this document and should also recommend whether to start a policy development process (PDP).

 

Recommendation 3: ICANN staff should work with the community to identify a DNRD Access Protocol that meets the needs of internationalization, including but not limited to the work products resulting from recommendations 1 and 2, and the requirements enumerated in this report.” 

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