[PC-NCSG] NCSG stmt on AC / IOC request & vote at GNSO Council

Wed Mar 14 12:14:11 EET 2012

PROCESS, is extremely important when we have this kind of multi-stakeholder engagement. I think it is important to remind everyone that this is yet another instance where process is not being followed. Please share with us the NPOC statement, did I miss it?

best

Dorothy K. Gordon
Director-General
Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT
Mobile: 233 265005712
Direct Line: 233 302 683579
Website: www.aiti-kace.com.gh

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alain Berranger" <alain.berranger at gmail.com>
To: "Robin Gross" <robin at ipjustice.org>, "Klaus.Stoll" <klaus.stoll at chasquinet.org>, "Eduardo Monge" <eduardo.monge at fod.ac.cr>
Cc: pc-ncsg at ipjustice.org
Sent: Wednesday, 14 March, 2012 6:16:33 AM GMT +00:00 Casablanca / Monrovia
Subject: Re: [PC-NCSG] NCSG stmt on AC / IOC request & vote at GNSO Council

Dear Robin, 

We spoke at the NPOC Cocktail tonight. You wanted my views. 

On principle, I am OK with deferring for some of the reasons mentioned but not for all. 

The language could be improved and be less irritating to some ( ..yet another circumvention... true perhaps but why irritate those you want to rallye?). 

Let me add that I would prefer a solution-based approach other than we need more time because process was not respected. 

I think the NPOC proposal and the Portugal proposal at GAC meeting yesterday are such solutions (In fact they are very similar - except that NPOC's is much shorter :). 

So maybe you could say defer in order to look at solutions like our own NPOC or Portugal proposals? 

PS - There is a typo in the subject title. 

Alain 

On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 10:15 PM, Robin Gross < robin at ipjustice.org > wrote: 

Dear NCSG-PC, 

As per our discussion in the NCSG policy meeting today, here is NCSG's stmnt on why we will defer tomorrow. 

Thanks, 
Robin 
______ 

NCSG finds it impossible to acquiesce in yet another circumvention of ICANN?s bottom up policy development process. At a time when multistakeholder processes on the internet are being challenged, this proposal is both questionable on the merits, and contrary to ICANN?s processes. Therefore, the NCSG has no option at this stage but to defer a vote at least until the public comment period is closed. 

Here are the reasons for our deferral. 

One of the most important parts of the ICANN process is the public comment period, which allows public engagement and permits those affected by policies to express their views. Public comments constitute a quintessential part of iCANN?s ecosystem. How can ICANN depend on public comments when it makes a decision before they have all been received? The council should not hold a vote on something as important as the implicit creation of a new form of reserved names, especially one that singles out some international organisations for special consideration while ignoring others without full comment. The critical importance of public comments was recognized by our colleague Mr. Steve Metalitz, chair of the IPC in a recent comment. Mr Metalitz said: 

?In trying to make the decision before the public comment period has closed, ICANN has failed to fulfill its pledge, in the Affirmation of Commitments, to employ ?responsive consultation procedures that provide detailed explanations of the basis for decisions, including how comments have influenced the development of policy consideration,? and to ?continually assess[] and improv[e] the processes by which ICANN receives public input (including adequate explanation of decisions taken and the rationale thereof).? [1] 

We could not agree more with this statement by our fellow stakeholder group ? the IPC. 

The NCSG-Policy Committee believes that this is a critical policy issue and needs the full guidance of the public comments before it can properly decide how to vote, and thus requests a deferral of this vote. 

[1] http://www.icann.org/en/documents/affirmation-of-commitments-30sep09-en.htm , paragraphs 7 and 9.1.c. 
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-- 
Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA 
Member, Board of Directors, CECI, http://www.ceci.ca 

Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, www.schulich.yorku.ca 
Trustee, Global Knowledge Partnership Foundation, www.gkpfoundation.org 
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interim Membership Committee Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, http://npoc.org/ 
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Skype: alain.berranger 

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