The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) has called for structural reform if the organisation is to fulfil its mission.

Explaining that leaving the governing of the internet in private hands was no longer viable, Icann president Stuart Lynn said: "What has become clear to me and others is that a purely private organisation will not work.

"As the representatives of their populations, [governments] must participate more directly in Icann's debates and policymaking functions.

"We must find the right form of global public/private partnership: one that combines the agility and strength of a private organisation with the authority of governments to represent the public interest."

Lynn maintained that the current set up lacked "inertia" and had an "obsession with process over substance".

The proposed roadmap entails restructuring the board of directors into a board of trustees which will include government representatives. 'Policy councils' would replace existing supporting organisations in the providing of expert advice.

Icann chairman Vint Cerf said: "The current structure of Icann was widely recognised as an experiment when created three years ago" but that the "rapid expansion of, and increasing global dependence on, the internet have made it clear that a new structure is essential if Icann is to fulfil its mission".

Cerf explained that the proposals were to ensure "transparency, openness and participation, while creating an Icann that can act responsibly and quickly. That will mean rejecting practices that have emphasised process over achievement."