[kictanet] [Skunkworks] dot Africa Reserve Name Policy Discussions (Introduction)

Tue Jul 2 14:41:35 EAT 2013

A very enlightening piece Barrack but I do have a query to raise: What
happened to the
.africa bid led by Sophia Bekele's
DotConnectAfrica Trust?
From
what I understand in
your e-mail, it seems
UniForum's
application for the gTLD has been accepted yet DotConnectAfrica are saying
that there were irregularities in UniForum's application to ICANN.

*(I haven't been following the proceedings of late so enlighten a brother.)*

On 1 July 2013 18:26, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:

> Listers,
>
>
> Those who follow Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
> (ICANN) processes, must be aware of the new generic Top Level Domains
> (gTLDs) initiative (http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/).
>
> Generic Top level domains (gTLDs) are  names of an Internet address that
> identifies it generically as associated with some domain class, for
> example   .org (for non-profit organisations, industry groups, and others),
> .com (commercial), etc. While ccTLDs (country code top-level domain name)
> identify national domicile for an address. (For instance, .ke for Kenya and
> .ug for Uganda.)
>
> In June 2011, ICANN's Board of Directors approved the new gTLD Guidebook
> and authorised the launch of the New gTLD Program. The application window
> opened on 12 January 2012, and ICANN received 1,930 applications for new
> gTLDs. Among them the geographic TLD for Africa,  dotAfrica.
>
> * Dot Africa*
>
> "dotAfrica is the proposed name for the African continent's generic Top
> Level Domain (gTLD). It is an opportunity to forge an identity that will
> elevate and enhance an African digital presence"...."it is also that
> specific Internet namespace for Africa and will echo ongoing operation and
> successes of other sister community TLDs such as DotEu (DotEuropa) and
> DotAsia which have created a new Internet identity for their users and
> business who seek more regional presence without being confined within the
> limits of one country"
>
> The extraordinary Session of the African Union CITMC held in Johannesburg,
> acknowledged the benefit of the Dotafrica domain name to Africa and adopted
> a resolution to "Establish dot Africa as a continental Top-Level Domain for
> use by organisations, businesses and individuals with guidance from African
> Internet agencies".The AUC  was therefore given the mandate from African
> governments to establish "dot Africa as a continental Top-Level Domain for
> use by organisations, businesses and individuals with guidance from African
> Internet Agencies" and to "set up the structure and modalities for the
> implementation of the dot Africa project" as provided for in the 2010 Abuja
> Declaration.  The AUC appointed Uniforum to coordinate the ICANN
> application process and manage regional TLD. The dot Africa project is
> currently at the cusp of transition from the Application Phase to the
> Launch Phase until the TLD is delegated by ICANN.
>
>
> The dot Africa initiative aims:
>
>     To sponsor, establish and operate a regional Internet namespace with
> global recognition and regional significance. The namespace is dedicated to
> the needs of the Pan-African Internet community.
>     To reinvest surpluses in socio-technological advancement initiatives
> relevant to the Pan-African Internet community.
>     To operate a successful not-for-profit initiative that is a
> technically sound, leading edge TLD registry for the Pan-African Internet
> community.
>     The development and support of African ccTLDs through the work of AfTLD
>     The development and support of a competitive and vibrant African
> Registrar market
>     Content development, and
>     The coordination and support of socio-economic and enterprise
> development initiatives relating to ICT
>
> For more details about the AUC/Uniforum dotAfrica project please visit:
> http://africainonespace.org/content.php?tag=5&title=What+is+dotAfrica%3F
> and
> http://pages.au.int/infosoc/pages/dotafrica-top-level-domain-africa-project
>
>
> Part of the launch process for dotAfrica involves the development of
> various policy documents including a Reserve Name Policy (RNL) in order to
> “deter abusive registrations and create an efficient, effective and stable
> launch”. This process will provide African member states and other
> stakeholders with the opportunity to submit reserve name lists to the dot
> Africa registry UNIFORUM/ZACR during the PreSunrise phase.
>
>
> The RNL will regulate the reservation of certain domain names prior to
> launch, which may be regarded as important, sensitive, offensive and/or
> otherwise in the general interest for the well being of the TLD. When a
> domain name has been entered into the RNL, the registry will ensure that
> the name is not made available for registration, other than through defined
> redemption processes as articulated in the RNL policy.
>
> The Reserve Name List Policy is now open for public comment period
> starting July 1st to August 1st. This comment period aims to provide an
> opportunity for greater stakeholder involvement in shaping the development
> of the dot Africa initiative and to build a shared vision and
> recommendations.
> The  draft RNL policy can be found here:
> http://www.africainonespace.org/downloads/Reserved%20Names%20Policy%2019%20June%202013.pdf
> To post comments and suggestions please visit:
> http://www.africainonespace.org/content.php?tag=25&title=Reserve+Name+Policy+for+the+.Africa+Registry
> A record of all comments received will be filed with Dot Africa policy
> team via e-mail or  the RNL portal. At the close of the public comment
> period, the dot Africa policy team will review all comments and may include
> them in the final drafts.
>
> ISOC Kenya chapter and the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) will
> conduct a 10 day mailing list discussion on the dot Africa reserve name
> policy. We hope that at the end of the period we can submit comments from
> some Kenyan stakeholders on the policy and also begin to discuss a possible
> reserve name list for Kenya.
>
>
> Here is an outline of the 10 day mailing list discussion period:
>
>
> Day one: Introduction and overview
>
> Day two: RNL categories
>
> Day three: AUC governmental Category 1
>
> Day Four; AUC governmental Category 2
>
> Day five: AUC Governmental Category 3
>
> Day Six: Offensive names  category
>
> Day Seven:  Application and Registration Processes:
>
> Day Seven: cont. Application, authentification processes
>
> Day Eight: cont. Application, notification, registration and objections to
> registrations processes
>
> Day Nine: WhoIs and draft RNL for Kenya
>
> Day Ten: Cont. Draft Reserve name list for Kenya and wrap up.
>
> We look forwad to insightfull discussions.
>
> Best Regards
>
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