LACTLD opposes proposed amendments to Art V, Section 6

["Oscar A. Robles Garay" <orobles@nic.mx>]

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Article V, Section 6. INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION
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(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];
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COMMENT:
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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.

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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.]
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COMMENT:
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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.

To preserve the regional diversity (no more than one director from the same region) in each election (DNSO, PSO, ASO, Regional At-large and Global at-large) will help to reach the geographic diversity.
 

Oscar Robles
on behalf of LACTLD