(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The nonprofit body responsible for the assignment of domain names and IP addresses has signed an agreement with the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, which manages the .PG country code top level domain, to formalize its commitment and responsibilities as a domain manager.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (www.icann.org) announced late last week that the university agreed to an accountability framework program, which states the obligations of a ccTLD manager and ICANN, as well as the dispute resolution and termination procedure.
The accountability framework program comes in two forms, which both allow ccTLD managers to formalise their relationship with ICANN. The first is an accountability framework document that sets out the obligations of a ccTLD manager and ICANN. It also covers dispute resolution and termination and is designed for ccTLD managers requiring a formal document with ICANN. The second mechanism is an exchange of letters between ICANN and the ccTLD manager designed for those for whom a simple statement of commitment is more appropriate.
As part of the agreement, the Papua New Guinea University of Technology is contributing $500 per year to ICANN’s continuing operations.
Comprising the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands, Paupa New Guinea has population of just under 7 million, and is home to more than 850 indigenous languages. As ICANN moves ahead with its move to be more inclusive of internationalized domains, it will be interesting to see if some Oceanic languages are included.
This is the latest such exchange of letters since ICANN and the Singapore Network Information Centre (www.sgnic.sg) signed an agreement regarding the .SG ccTLD in October 2009.
