Enhancing Legitimacy in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Centre for Global Studies
How should the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) reform itself? As the organization began a process of self-examination and reorganization, this report presented a set of Best Practices to guide the reform efforts. The report chose three criteria (representation, participation, and accountability), and draws lessons from a number of detailed studies of other global institutions whose structure and organization resemble ICANN. From these case studies, the report suggests a number of steps ICANN could take to enhance its legitimacy. These include increasing the number of delegates from developing countries and civil society; introducing the concept of double majorities into ICANN's voting processes; enhancing transparency by making information publicly available on ICANN's web site; and several other measures that would allow ICANN to better fulfill its mission.