Internet Society President and CEO, Kathryn C. Brown released a statement today stressing the organization’s continued commitment to the stewardship transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions to the global Internet community—emphasizing that this process is key to maintaining long-term value in the collaborative, multistakeholder model of Internet governance.

The statement follows the news today that Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) President and CEO, Fadi Chehadé, who has played an important role in leading ICANN in its efforts toward the globalization of the IANA functions to date, will step down from his post in March 2016. From Ms. Brown’s statement:

“It is important that we realize that we are at a critical point in the process. The community has done impressive work in elaborating a proposal for the transition of the IANA functions stewardship. The IETF, IAB and Regional Internet Registry communities have completed their work and the Names community just last night received the first round of comments on an extensive, thoughtful proposal.

The community is deeply committed to seeing the transition through to completion.  Indeed, there is no turning back. We have a responsibility to the users of the global Internet to maintain the momentum for a timely, orderly transition of the role of the United States Department of Commerce NTIA.

I am most confident that the community, through its open and transparent processes, will submit a proposal in the very near future that meets the requirements set forward by the NTIA and that will enable a successful transition of the IANA functions to the global multistakeholder community.

The Internet Society remains strongly committed to the process and pledges its continued efforts and resources in support of the multistakeholder effort now reaching its most critical point.”