This is the fourth extension granted to ICANN since 1998, when
the body was formed by the US government and authorised to regulate
the internet domain name system.
The new agreement includes key amendments designed to ensure
that ICANN develops into an independent, stable and sustainable
organisation, capable of meeting its responsibilities for the
technical management of the domain name system. To date ICANN has
not achieved these goals and has been roundly criticised for its
poor management.
An internal reform process began in February 2002 and has,
according to the Commerce Department, made some headway. A new CEO
has been put in place, and eight new board members appointed – all
with relevant experience and skills. But much remains to be
done.
The Memorandum of Understanding agreed on Tuesday therefore sets
out targets that have to be achieved by the organisation, including
the formalisation of ICANN's relationship with root server system
operators, which link domain names to numerical addresses and
improvements in transparency, efficiency and timeliness. ICANN is
also expected to improve the accuracy of the WHOIS database.
