IANA Report
Subject:
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Redelegation of .mw Top-Level Domain
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Date:
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12 August 2002
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The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (the IANA), as part of the administrative
functions associated with management of the domain-name system root, is
responsible for receiving requests for delegation and redelegation of
top-level domains, investigating the circumstances pertinent to those
requests, and reporting on the requests. Earlier this year, the IANA received
a request for changing the sponsoring organization, administrative contact,
and technical contact for the .mw (Malawi) country-code top-level domain
(ccTLD). This report gives the findings and conclusions of the IANA on
its investigation of that request.
Factual and Procedural
Background
The .mw ccTLD was first delegated in January 1997 to Mr. Chris Cope Morgan
as administrative contact and Robin Mthwanji as technical contact. Mr.
Cope Morgan was associated with the Computer Solutions LTD, Blantyre,
Malawi. At the time of the initial delegation in 1996, Robin Mthwanji
was associated with InterACCESS Communications, located in Blantyre, Malawi.
In 1998, InterACCESS encountered connectivity difficulties within Malawi,
so that the technical contact was changed to Thomas F. Harris of Dover,
New Hampshire, USA. Mr. Harris was and is associated with Tarsus Software.
Soon afterward, Mr. Cope Morgan left Malawi. In June 2000, the IANA received
a request from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
for information regarding the delegation and the procedures for its redelegation
to someone residing within Malawi. MACRA was advised of the provisions
of
ICP-1 section (e)
regarding transfers of delegations, and requested to contact Mr. Cope
Morgan and Mr. Harris to discuss directly with them a possible transfer
of the .mw ccTLD delegation back into Malawi.
In September 2001, the IANA received a copy of a 12 September 2001 letter
from MACRA to Mr. Cope Morgan, then located in South Africa, stating that
the Malawi Sustainable Development Network Programme (Malawi SDNP) had
MACRAa?s mandate to operate the .mw ccTLD. In August 2001, Mr. Cope Morgan
had advised Dr. Paulos Nyirenda of the Malawi SDNP that Mr. Cope Morgan
was prepared to agree to transfer of the delegation upon receiving documentation
of MACRAa?s mandate.
On 10 February 2002, Mr. Cope Morgan wrote to ICANNa?s ccTLD Liaison endorsing
Dr. Nyirenda as the appropriate administrator of the .mw ccTLD, in view
of his greater ability to place the .mw ccTLD on a sound and transparent
operational footing. Mr. Cope Morgan stated: a?I feel now that Dr Paulos
Nyirenda is currently the appropriate administrator and should take it
over once all technical issues are resolved.a?
On 1 March 2002, Dr. Nyirenda submitted a request, on behalf of the Malawi
SDNP, for the .mw ccTLD to be delegated to it. The request was accompanied
by documentation concerning:
- the Malawi Internet community and Malawi SDNPa?s consultations with
it;
- the circumstances affecting the Internet community in Malawi;
- MACRAa?s support of Malawi SDNP;
- technical abilities of Malawi SDNP;
- the organizational structure of Malawi SDNP; and
- the vision and contemplated policies under which Malawi SDNP would
operate the .mw ccTLD.
By an accompanying template, Dr. Nyirenda proposed changing the sponsoring
organization to Malawi SDNP, the administrative contact to Dr. Nyirenda,
and the technical contact to the Malawi SDNP Coordinator, Mr. David Chima.
Thus, the effect of the requests was to shift away from out-of-country
operation of the .mw ccTLD and to an in-country administrative and technical
contact and sponsoring organization.
The existing administrative and technical contacts have agreed to these
changes. Consultations were conducted within Malawi regarding this change,
which indicated significant support for Malawi SDNPa?s operation of the
.mw ccTLD.
In view of the proposed shift in the delegated authority over the .mw
domain, discussions ensued regarding establishing more formal accountability
regarding the delegation. As noted above, MACRA endorsed Malawi SDNP as
the appropriate party to become the delegate of the .mw ccTLD. On 28 June
2002, Malawi SDNP and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers entered into a
memorandum
of understanding
under which Malawi SDNP would assume the responsibilities
as delegee. MACRA was formally advised of the partiesa? intent to enter,
and provided a copy of, this memorandum of understanding on 12 June 2002.
Although the memorandum of understanding does not provide for direct involvement
of MACRA or another governmental agency in ensuring Malawi SDNPa?s accountability,
it is subject to being replaced in the future by a more durably binding
agreement taking into account evolving circumstances, including possible
enhanced, cooperative governmental involvement in ensuring that the ccTLD
operates within an appropriate framework of accountability.
Evaluation
This report is being provided under the
contract
for performance of the IANA function
between the United States Government
and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Under
that contract, ICANN performs the IANA function, which
includes
receiving delegation and redelegation requests concerning ccTLDs, investigating
the circumstances pertinent to those requests, and reporting on the requests.
In acting on redelegation requests, the IANA currently follows the practices
summarized in "
Internet
Domain Name System Structure and Delegation
" (ICP-1). ICP-1 represents
an update of the portions of
RFC 1591
(which was issued in March 1994) dealing with ccTLDs, and reflects subsequent
documents and evolution of the policies followed by the IANA through May
1999.
In considering delegation or redelegation of a ccTLD, the IANA seeks
input from persons significantly affected by the transfer, particularly
those within the nation or territory which the ccTLD has been established
to benefit. As
noted in
ICP-1
, the parties affected include especially the relevant government
or public authority: "The desires of the government of a country
with regard to delegation of a ccTLD are taken very seriously. The IANA
will make them a major consideration in any TLD delegation/transfer discussions."
Based on the materials submitted and the IANAa?s evaluation of the circumstances,
Malawi SDNP appears well-positioned, and firmly committed, to operate
the .mw ccTLD in a manner that serves the Malawi Internet community. Consultations
by Malawi SDNP itself show support within the Malawi Internet community
for redelegating the .mw ccTLD to Malawi SDNP. Malawi SDNPa?s commitment
to serving the community is further demonstrated by its willingness to
enter into the memorandum of understanding providing formal accountability
for its stewardship of the .mw ccTLD. It is also reinforced by the support
of the Malawi government.
Malawi SDNP, which has accepted accountability for the ccTLD under its
memorandum of understanding, has designated Mr. Chima as technical contact.
The IANA's review indicates that Malawi SDNP, and Mr. David Chima, possess
the technical competence to carry out assignment of domain names and operation
of nameservers.
The shifting of ccTLD delegations from individuals that have been designated
informally as administrative and technical contacts to organizations operating
under written agreements or memoranda of understanding is a positive step
toward the stable and professional operation of ccTLDs in the public interest.
As the Internet becomes increasingly important to global society, it is
important that a framework of accountability be established for the operation
of all top-level domains, both to promote the global interoperability
of the domain-name system and to ensure that the interests of local Internet
communities are well-served.
In February 2000, the
ICANN
Governmental Advisory Committee
(GAC) issued a document entitled "
Principles
for the Delegation and Administration of Country Code Top Level Domains
,"
commonly known as the "GAC Principles." These principles serve
as "best practices" to guide governments in assuming proper
roles with respect to the Internet's naming system, which the GAC has
observed is a public resource to be administered in the public interest.
In general, they recognize that each government has the ultimate responsibility
within its territory for its national public-policy objectives, but also
that ICANN has the responsibility for ensuring that the Internet domain-name
system continues to provide an effective and interoperable global naming
system.
The GAC Principles guide governments on how to responsibly structure
their relations with ccTLD managers (see clauses
5.5
and
9
).
The GAC Principles recommend that governments and ICANN pursue their respective
roles by creating a framework for accountability memorialized in communications
with each other and with the ccTLD manager (see
clause
2
). In view of local conditions or for other reasons, however, national
governments sometimes choose not to be directly involved initially in
the three-way communications, but instead to allow bilateral arrangements
such as that here to be entered. In such cases, the bilateral agreements
promote the DNS's stable and reliable operation by allowing for accountable
operation by the manager, pending appropriate expression by the relevant
government or public authority for participation in a triangular arrangement
(see
GAC
Melbourne Communiqué part B
(10 March 2001)).
Conclusion
The IANA concludes that the .mw ccTLD should be redelegated, as requested,
from the current delegees to Malawi SDNP. Dr. Paulos B. Nyirenda should
become administrative contact and Mr. David Chima should become technical
contact, as designated by Malawi SDNP under its memorandum of understanding
with ICANN.
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Page Updated
12-Aug-2002
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Names and Numbers. All
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