Should ICANN New gTLD's' Expression of Interest Be Called Expression of Special Interest?

ICANN has been seeking Comments on the Expression of Interest for the New gTLDs which can be found at http://icann.org/en/public-comment/#draft-eoi

As always, the biggest challenge at ICANN is in the Process itself. And for the record, no one wants New IDN gTLDs rolled out sooner than I do.

However, no matter how ICANN decides to slice up the EOI process with the feedback it receives to make it acceptable or palatable to all current warring parties I cannot see how it can ensure making an EOI process equitable, fair, and ubiquitous to all its stakeholders from Akron to Afghanistan, from DC to Damascus, from Beijing to Bangalore, and delivering on its Affirmation of Commitments (AOC) mandate http://www.icann.org/en/documents/affirmation-of-commitments-30sep09-en.htm of ensuring accountability, transparency and the interests of all global Internet users as well as promoting competition, consumer trust and consumer choice.

ICANN must ensure all have an equal opportunity. They may not all have equal ability, but equal opportunity they all must have, and no less to those in the USA or the western hemisphere with money to ensure their voices can be heard and unlike most in the IDN communities or developing world that have neither money nor a voice for ICANN to hear. That should not mean they don’t exist or they can be ignored.

This is paramount now that ICANN is operating under the new Affirmation of Commitments (AOC) it has sought from the US Government. The AOC calls for a periodic review mechanism of ICANN for these priorities:

1. Ensuring accountability, transparency and the interests of global Internet users;
2. Preserving security, stability and resiliency of the DNS;
3. Promoting competition, consumer trust and consumer choice;
4. Whois policy.

ICANN’s role is that of a "Global Public Service Provider", and is an accepted global monopoly, but as per the AOC, ICANN must ensure accountability, transparency and the interests of all global Internet users as well as competition and fair play to all its constituents. If it can deliver such a process to those without voice or money (IDN Netizens) as equally as to those with voice and money than it has my full support on the EOI. Until this is demonstrated, I do not support the EOI.

Currently both sides of the EOI arguments are entrenched in very typical US centric debates caused by the current ICANN structures, formats and processes. This needs to change, it needs to evolve.

Currently this process is stuck in the old way of doing things at ICANN. ICANN needs to demonstrate it is genuinely trying to alleviate this continued dissatisfaction or distrust in the way it is handling special interests VS global interests where IDNs and IDN gTLDs are given their due merit. As much of the serious concerns from the IDN communities and developing world continue being overlooked and are hardly being touched and if the EOI is adopted, it will apply to IDNs and IDN gTLDs.

The ICANN Board and staff would be well advised to pay special attention to this as these are the true measurements than would determine if ICANN fails or succeeds on its AOC mandates and in bringing the next Multi-Billion Non English speaking / Multilingual Netizens to the Internet. And failure is not an option, as it will always come at the expense of those who CAN’T not those who CAN. I hope ICANN CAN step up to the plate and serve those who CAN’T as mandated.

Finally, failure by ICANN to ensure this fairness, equality, accountability, transparency and the interests of all global Internet users will render the Expression of Interest becoming the Expression of SPECIAL Interest, and would damage ICANN’s own credibility, and that of the US Government who granted it the AOC, not to mention, damage the good faith of some of the sincere EOI supporters.

I hope and look forward to the ICANN board and staff exhibiting the necessary wisdom on this.