The paper, published Thursday by a committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), defends the group's role in setting rules for the Web's address system. It also sets what committee members call a "blueprint for reform" of the beleaguered oversight body.

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"There is not any more a legitimate debate over whether ICANN has a role in policy development and implementation. It does," wrote members of the Committee on ICANN Evolution and Reform, led by chairman Alejandro Pisanty.

Committee members stipulated that ICANN should only set policy in topics that are "reasonably related" to its technical mission of running the address system, and not venture into areas such as attempting to regulate online content.

The plan's publication comes as ICANN continues to face fire from U.S. legislators and domain policy watchers over its effectiveness. The private oversight body, formed four years ago through a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has also been criticized for overstepping its authority in setting domain-name policy.

A senate subcommittee convened a hearing last week to discuss ICANN's future. Four U.S. congressmen followed up by drafting a letter to the Commerce Department stating that ICANN "lacks the legitimacy needed to guide an international consensus body."

The letter, signed by congressmen Billy Tauzin (R-La.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), lays out their suggestions for reforming ICANN. The congressmen asked the Commerce Department not to renew its working agreement with ICANN until the group puts credible limits on its authority.

ICANN has been engaged in its own self-evaluation ever since departing ICANN President M. Stuart Lynn floated a controversial proposal for reorganization in February. The most recent plan, however, did not please all ICANN followers.

"The document is completely out of touch with reality," said Karl Auerbach, a member of ICANN's board of directors elected through a voting process that the group has since eliminated.

He characterized ICANN in its current form as a "demonstrated failure."

ICANN's reform paper did not specify a new plan for elections.

The plan for restructuring will be a headline topic at ICANN's upcoming meeting, scheduled to begin June 24 in Bucharest, Romania. ICANN plans to develop a more detailed plan at a meeting in Shanghai in October.