[Comment-Dnso] Membership Criteria for NCDNH Constituency

[bill@mail.nic.nu (J. William Semich)]

Hello;

The Internet Users Society - Niue (IUS-N) has actively participated in the
formation of the NCDNHC from it's earliest formation period. We strongly
support that the application and charter submitted to the ICANN Board be
approved, with one important modification.

The application's proposed Membership Criteria states "membership is
limited to organizations that are not also members of other DNSO
constituencies." This provision will exclude a large number of
noncommercial organizations which have a strong interest in noncommercial
domain name policies from active participation in this constituency.

Several noncommercial entities throughout the world which meet all the
other requirements for participation in the NCDNHC are organized in a
manner in which their active, noncommercial or public interest branch is
part of a larger entity, or may have a subdivision, which may have other
activities which require them to participate in other constituencies of the
DNSO. 

In addition, several International entities which are working in the public
interest in a noncommercial manner to build Internet awareness or
participation across the world may have affiliations or divisions which are
also active on other constituencies of the DNSO. These entities should all
be allowed to participate in the NCDNHC.

Also, such an exclusionary provision in any DNSO Constituency's charter is
not permitted by the ICANN Bylaws:

"Section 3:  THE CONSTITUENCIES 

(a)  Each Constituency shall self-organize, and shall determine its own
criteria for participation, except that no
individual or entity shall be excluded from participation in a Constituency
merely because of participation in
another Constituency..."

I strongly urge the Members of the Board of ICANN approve the NCDNHC
application with the proviso that this limitation on membership be dropped.

Respectfully,

J. William Semich
President
Internet Users Society - Niue