IRP Panel’s Declaration of the IRP Procedure was released on August 14, dealing with the matter between DotConnectAfrica Trust (DCA) and ICANN. In June of 2013 ICANN decided not to accept the application from DCA with regards to the .Africa extension. Over the last year the two sides have been battling it out back and forth.
According to DCA Trust, “ICANN’s administration of the New gTLD Program and its decision on DCA’s application were unfair, discriminatory, and lacked appropriate due
diligence and care, in breach of ICANN’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.” DCATrust also advanced that “ICANN’s violations materially affected DCA’s right to have
its application processed in accordance with the rules and procedures laid out by ICANN for the New gTLD Program.”
ICANN says they received numerous warnings from many African countries with regard to DCA, these governments had serious concerns about DCA’s application. following the issuance of those warnings, the GAC issued “consensus advice” against DCA’s application; ICANN then accepted the GAC’s advice, which was entirely consistent with ICANN’s Bylaws and the Guidebook.
Based on the foregoing and the language and content of the IRP Procedure, the Panel concludes that this Declaration and its future Declaration on the Merits of this case
are binding on the Parties.
You can read the full decision here