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[atlarge-discuss] FYI. From ICANN's 31 march status report to the DoC
c. Implementation of the At-Large Advisory Committee
Under the New Bylaws, ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is
responsible for considering and providing advice on the activities of ICANN
as they relate to the interests of individual Internet users (the
"At-Large" community). The New Bylaws call for the ALAC to eventually
consist of ten members selected by Regional At-Large Organizations,
supplemented by five members selected by ICANN's Nominating Committee. To
allow the ALAC to begin functioning immediately, the Transition Article of
the Interim Bylaws provides for the Board to appoint ten members (two from
each of ICANN's five regions) to an Interim ALAC.
Ultimately, underpinning the ALAC will be a network of self-organizing,
self-supporting At-Large Structures throughout the world involving
individual Internet users at the local or issue level. The At-Large
Structures (either existing organizations or newly formed for this purpose)
will self-organize into five Regional At-Large Organizations (one in each
ICANN region – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and
North America). The Regional At-Large Organizations will manage outreach
and public involvement and will be the main forum and coordination point in
each region for public input to ICANN.
This structure for At-Large user participation provides significant
advantages over the one foreseen in ICANN before reform, as it provides for
accountable, transparent stakeholder organization, and allows for the
ability to identify clearly who is speaking, as well as to assess the
quantitative weight associated with that voice. The ALAC has been
structured to make sure that the voice of different sectors of the Internet
community will be heard and that their representation can be effectively
taken into account.
On 20 January 2003, the ICANN Board appointed the following individuals to
the Interim At-Large Advisory Committee:
· Africa
· Pierre Dandjinou (Benin)
· Clement Dzidonu (Ghana)
· Asia/Pacific
· Izumi Aizu (Japan)
· Xue Hong (China)
· Europe
· Vittorio Bertola (Italy)
· Thomas Roessler (Germany)
· Latin America/Caribbean
· Erick Iriarte Ahon (Peru)
· Sebastián J. Ricciardi (Argentina)
· North America
· Esther Dyson (United States)
· Wendy Seltzer (United States)
All of these individuals have support in one or more communities, have
proven their commitment and capability of working intensely and in
coordinated fashion, and add important capabilities and outreach. They form
a diverse, balanced, constructive group that, in the aggregate, is
optimally positioned to build the structure that will guarantee that ICANN
is provided with the views and needs of Internet users worldwide and kept
operating in an efficient, transparent, and accountable manner.
Interim ALAC members will serve until a Regional At-Large Organization is
established in their respective region and elects its own members to the
permanent ALAC.
In addition to serving the advisory role envisioned for the permanent ALAC,
the Interim ALAC will assist in the formation and qualification of At-Large
Structures and Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs). The At-Large
Structures and RALOs will meet requirements such as openness, participatory
opportunities, transparency, accountability, and diversity in their
structure and procedures.
The Interim ALAC has organized itself and selected Vittorio Bertola of
Italy as its Chair. The Interim ALAC has also appointed a non-voting
liaison to the Generic Names Supporting Organization's Council, which is
responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board policies
relating to generic top-level domains. It has also selected five delegates
to ICANN's Nominating Committee, which will select eight of the 15 voting
members of the new ICANN Board and also will select individuals to serve in
other key positions. When ICANN's New Board takes over from the Transition
Board, the ALAC will also appoint a non-voting liaison to the ICANN Board.
Other activities expected to be undertaken by the Interim (and permanent)
ALAC and its supporting organizations include:
· Proposing criteria and an accreditation process for self-forming
At-Large Structures (which will organize the RALOs);
· Certifying (and de-certifying) organizations for "At-Large
Structure" designation;
· Proposing a "memorandum of understanding" template to be used to
define the role and responsibilities of RALOs within the ICANN structure;
· Assisting with initial outreach strategies on At-Large and relevant
ICANN issues in each geographic region;
· Publicizing and analyzing ICANN's proposed policies and decisions
and their (potential) regional impact and (potential) effect on individuals
in the region;
· Providing advice to various policy-making organizations within
ICANN on issues, proposals, and activities that are relevant to individual
Internet users and fall within ICANN's purview; and
· Offering Internet-based mechanisms and processes that enable
discussions among members of At-Large structures and with those involved in
ICANN decision-making so interested individuals can share their views on
pending ICANN issues.