ENRED comments about ICANN bylaws' changes proposed.

[Raul Echeberria <raul@inia.org.uy>]

The comments' address in the ICANN's web is wrong. When you click, the mail
address used is comments-bylaws@....

Plese, accept my delay in sending comments. 



------------------

On behalf of the Latinamerican Network Forum - ENRED, we support the
following comments from LACTLD on the proposed amendments of the ICANN's
bylaws.

==================================================

Subject: LACTLD opposes proposed amendments to Art V, Section 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article V, Section 6. INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) at least one citizen of a country located in each of the geographic
regions listed in this Section 6 shall serve [as an At Large Director] on
the Board (other than the Initial Board) at all times [and];
.........................................................................
COMMENT:
--------
LACTLD strongly opposes this particular amendment, which we deem contrary
to the geographical diversity principle reflected in the present version of
ICANN bylaws, outcome of a long consensus process.

Should this amendment be approved, the BoD could possibly lack
representativity of one or more of the established regions, which in turn
would weaken ICANN regarding those regions. To confine (or limit) the GD
principle to the directors to be elected in a future time by the At Large
membership is contrary to ICANN's genesis to be an international,
geographically diverse organization, and to the established consensus.

Furthermore, it could also be seen as a new postponement of the legitimate
claims of no representation arosen from the Latin American Internet
community since the composition of the Board in place was first announced.

..........................................................................
2) no more than one-half (1/2) of the total number of At Large Directors
serving at any given time shall be citizens of countries located in any one
Geographic Region, {and (3) no more than one-half (1/2) of the total number
of Directors, in the aggregate, serving at any given time pursuant to
selection by the Supporting Organizations shall be citizens of countries
located in any one Geographic Region.}[The selection of Directors by each
Supporting Organization shall comply with all applicable geographic
diversity provisions of these Bylaws or of any Memorandum of Understanding
referred to in these Bylaws concerning the Supporting Organization.]
..........................................................................

COMMENT:
--------

LACTLD strongly opposes this particular amendment, which we deem contrary
to the geographical diversity principle reflected in the present version of
ICANN bylaws, outcome of a long consensus process.

Should this amendment be approved, the BoD could possibly consist of a
majority of individuals from one region, which could reduce its
universality of criteria, and drive it to favour the adoption of policies
or determinations which, being appropriate in that region could however not
be appropriate elsewhere.

Furthermore, the perception of ICANN as a geographically diverse
organization could be diluted in that case. The reinforcement of GD on the
SOs, which LACTLD supports, does not fulfill the need for that same GD in
the composition of the BoD. 

[This proposed amendment seems to ignore all comments previously submitted
in favour of GD, -including sound protests from Latin American Internet
community members-, and are not the outcome of any down-to-top decision
procedure we are aware of.]


Raul Echeberria
raul@inia.org.uy