http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/icann/santiago/archive/GAC-
Comminuque-mtg3.html
[EMPHASIS added]
Governmental Advisory Committee - DRAFT Communique
TUESDAY, 24 AUGUST 1999 - The Governmental
Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers held its third meeting today.
The attending Committee members, representing over 30
national governments, distinct economies as recognised in
international fora, and MULTINATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL AND
TREATY ORGANISATIONS, issued the following statement:
The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) has had
fruitful discussions around substantive issues relating to
the usage of the Internet across the worldwide community
and the administration of the country code top level
domains. The GAC initiated a positive and constructive
process for addressing these and other significant Internet
policy issues, and as a consequence makes the following
recommendations to the ICANN Board:
A.With regard to ICANN�s Proposed Interim Policy for
Geographic Diversity on the ICANN Board of
Directors:
The GAC supports the underlying principles of
geographic diversity and international representation in
the context of ICANN. The GAC believes that these
principles are best implemented using the criterion of
CITIZENSHIP as specified in the By-laws of ICANN, to
determine the eligibility of DIRECTORS of the board of
ICANN and of participants in the Councils of the
Supporting Organizations. In addition, taking into
consideration the practicality of determining the
electorate, the GAC supports the use of RESIDENCY as
the criterion for determining the eligibility of the
ELECTORATE.
B.With regard to principles for the delegation of
management for country code top level domains:
1. The Committee reaffirmed its May
resolution that the Internet naming system is a
public resource and that the management of a
TLD Registry must be in the public interest.
2. Accordingly, the GAC considers that no
private intellectual or other property rights
inhere to the TLD itself nor accrue to the
delegated manager of the TLD as the result of
such delegation.
3.THE GAC ALSO REAFFIRMED THAT THE
DELEGATION OF A CCTLD REGISTRY IS
SUBJECT TO THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY
OF THE RELEVANT PUBLIC AUTHORITY
OR GOVERNMENT. The GAC discussed
the development of best practices for the
administration of ccTLDs and agreed to
continue this discussion.
The next face-to-face meeting of the GAC will be held on 2
November 1999 in Los Angeles, to coincide with ICANN�s
next round of meetings.
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