ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

ICANN PUBLIC FORUM
29 MARCH 2006
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

>>VINT CERF: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I AM -- HAD POSTPONED THE START A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAVE A SPARSE AUDIENCE.
IT COULD BE THAT THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT NOBODY'S INTERESTED IN THESE REPORTS.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, AT SOME POINT, WE MIGHT DISBAND WITH THE -- OR DISPENSE WITH THE REPORTS.
SO IN ORDER TO GAUGE THAT LEVEL OF INTEREST, I'M GOING TO WAIT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ALSO, AT SOME POINT, WE PROBABLY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE OPEN MEETINGS AS TO WHETHER THIS FORMAT AND CONTENT IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
IF IT'S NOT, WE NEED TO FIX THAT.
SO THAT CAN BE A TASK FOR THE MEETINGS COMMITTEE TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT.
IF YOU'LL FORGIVE ME, I'M GOING TO WAIT ANOTHER FOUR MINUTES UNTIL 1:15, AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN.
(PAUSE)

>>VINT CERF: GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.
I SHOULD BEGIN WITH THE TRADITIONAL MAORI WELCOME, WHICH I'M PRACTICING REPEATEDLY NOW.
TENA KOTO, TENA KOTO, TENA KOTO. WELCOME TO THE FIRST PART OF THE PUBLIC FORUM.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SESSION OF THIS TYPE TOMORROW.
LET ME SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS FIRST ABOUT SCHEDULE.
FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEGINNING LATE, JUST GETTING ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER DIDN'T QUITE COME TOGETHER AS PROMPTLY AS WE EXPECTED.
SPECIFICALLY, TONIGHT, HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO END THE MEETING AT 5:45 RATHER THAN 6:00, ALTHOUGH IF WE RUN THROUGH THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND OPEN MICROPHONE PERIOD AND THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE THAT TIME, I WON'T EXTEND THIS MEETING ARTIFICIALLY.
SO IF WE FINISH BEFORE 5:45, I'M SURE NO ONE WILL OBJECT.
THE BOARD HAS BEEN INVITED TO A RECEPTION OF THE PACIFIC ISLAND MINISTERS, WHO ARE ASSEMBLED HERE FOR PART OF THIS WEEK.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE THERE IN TIME TO BE GREETED BY THAT DELEGATION.
SO WE WILL CLOSE THIS SESSION AT 5:45 OR SOONER, DEPENDING ON HOW THE QUESTIONS GO.
SECOND, TOMORROW MORNING HAD BEEN -- IT HAD BEEN POSTED THAT WE WOULD START AT 8:30.
FOR SEVERAL REASONS, WE NEED TO START HALF AN HOUR LATER TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OTHER MEETINGS.
AND SO WE WILL BEGIN TOMORROW AT 9:00 IN THE MORNING, NOT 8:30.
CLEARLY, NOT ALL OF THE ATTENDEES ARE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW.
SO WE WILL POST THIS INFORMATION.
BUT IF YOU SHOULD HAPPEN TO SEE A COLLEAGUE THAT MIGHT NOT BE HERE NOW, YOU MIGHT REMIND THEM THAT WE WILL START AT 9:00 AND NOT 8:30.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INVITE PAUL TWOMEY, OUR CEO, TO BEGIN WITH HIS REPORT.
SO, PAUL, IF YOU'RE READY, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE LECTERN.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: SEEMS THAT I'M TECHNOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, VINT.
AND THIS IS A REPORT TO THE BOARD AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO CHANGE STYLE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS REPORT.
TRADITIONALLY, THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT IS A BACKWARD-LOOKING REPORT.
I WANTED, ACTUALLY, TO GIVE SOME SUMMATION OF SOME OF THE BACKWARD THINGS WE'VE ACHIEVED, OR THE WRONG WAY OF PUTTING IT, THE THINGS WE'VE ACHIEVED RECENTLY.
BUT I PARTICULARLY WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT SOME INITIATIVES WE'RE TAKING NOW, GOING FORWARD, WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOME OF THESE ARE ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY'RE EVOLUTIONS (INAUDIBLE) WHAT WE'RE DOING (INAUDIBLE) START AND TOOLS (INAUDIBLE) THE COMMUNITY.
JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE OPERATIONAL PLAN AND STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES.
THE REVIEW OF THAT -- THE FINAL CONSULTATION ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY. THERE IS A FINAL DRAFT OF THAT DOCUMENT BEING SHARED AMONGST THE BOARD, TO GIVE YOU THE SUMMATION OF WHAT'S TO COME OUT OF THAT CONSULTATION.
TOMORROW, WE SHALL POST THAT AS THE FINAL, FINAL, FINAL DRAFT.
IT'LL COME BEFORE YOU FOR APPROVAL AT THE BOARD MEETING ON FRIDAY.
THE OPERATIONAL PLAN IS A DOCUMENT WHICH WAS SHARED.
WE HAD A VERY GOOD PROCESS IN THIS ROOM YESTERDAY, GOING THROUGH SOME PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD ASKED FOR.
THEY HAD ASKED FOR THIS SORT OF PROJECT-BY-PROJECT BREAKDOWN OF HOW TO ACHIEVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, TALKING THAT THROUGH IN TERMS OF BOTH OUTCOMES AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
THERE WAS VERY GOOD FEEDBACK.
THERE WAS YET AGAIN A FURTHER INDICATION OF THE DESIRE THE COMMUNITY HAS FOR VARIOUS THINGS TO OCCUR.
AND ONE OF THE OBSERVATIONS I WOULD MAKE ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS IS THAT IT FOCUSES ON THE STRATEGIC PROJECTS, THE PROJECTS TO ACHIEVE THE STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS.
IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY ILLUMINATE AS WELL THE BUSINESS-AS-USUAL FUNCTIONS.
SO IT TENDS TO FOCUS ON THE NEW THINGS OR THE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT NOT SO MUCH THE THINGS TO DO WHICH ARE BUSINESS AS USUAL.
SO PART OF THE PROCESS OF THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING AND THE CONSEQUENT BUDGETING WILL HAVE TO TAKE THOSE TWO THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
THIS PROCESS WILL CONTINUE IN CONSULTATION -- AND I WON'T GO THROUGH THE TIMETABLE HERE, AGAIN, TO TRY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OTHER ISSUES.
BUT IT WILL COME BEFORE THE BOARD FOR INCORPORATION WITH THE BUDGET IN OUR MEETING IN MARRAKESH.
THERE ARE A SERIES OF PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEES PRESENTLY IN OPERATION.
ONE IS THE COMMITTEE WHICH IS THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IDNS.
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS WEEK.
BUT THAT COMMITTEE IS WORKING FORWARD ON A TIMETABLE FOR PROPOSED TRIAL FOR THE TESTING AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL OF TWO MEANS OF POTENTIALLY ENTERING IDNS IN THE ROOT.
THAT IS DNAMES AND NS RECORDS.
IT BEHOOVES ME TO BE QUITE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE MEAN BY USING "TEST" IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
THIS IS NOT "TEST" AS IN IN 2001, WE HAD A TEST BED FOR NEW GTLDS.
THIS IS "TEST" AS IN A SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT.
THE COMMITTEE IS TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVING A NAME -- IT'S NOT YET BEEN DECIDED, BUT IT COULD ACTUALLY BE AN EQUIVALENT OF THE ENGLISH WORD "TEST."
DOT TEST.
IT IS SOMETHING WHICH WILL HAVE NO ECONOMIC VALUE AND AFTER THE TRIAL, WILL BE REMOVED, SO THAT WE KNOW NO ACCRUED ECONOMIC POSITION FOR ANYBODY INVOLVED IN THE TEST.
AND THERE WILL BE NO ASSUMED OUTCOME OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN THE IDN TLD SPACE FROM THE TEST.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TRIALING AND TESTING THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF PUTTING SUCH RECORDS IN THE ROOT ZONE.
THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC -- THE PRESIDENT'S STRATEGIC COMMITTEE WILL COME BACK TO, LATER ON, I THINK THIS AFTERNOON OR TOMORROW, FOR A SPECIAL REPORT ON PROGRESS ON THAT FROM MYSELF AND ONE OF MY OTHER COCHAIRS, PETER DENGATE THRUSH.
THE GNSO, THE CCNSO, THE ASO, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY DURING THIS MEETING.
THE ASO OBVIOUSLY NOT SO MUCH HERE, BUT LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS.
THERE IS SOME SUMMATION OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THEIR WORK ON THIS PAGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING AT THE VIDEO STREAMING OR AUDIO STREAMING AND CAN SEE A POWERPOINT.
BUT I WON'T GO THROUGH THOSE IN DETAIL.
I'LL LEAVE THOSE FOR THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES TO REPORT TO US.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN AND OPERATIONAL PLAN UPDATE.
CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO SHARE BOTH WITH THE BOARD AND WITH THE COMMUNITY THE PROGRESSION OF THINKING AROUND HOW STAFFING SHOULD BE BEST CONSIDERED TO SUPPORT THE MISSION THAT HAS BEEN PUT TO THE -- PUT TO ICANN.
AND WHICH FALLS OUT A LITTLE BIT OF CONSIDERING WHAT'S OCCURRING THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE OPERATIONAL PLAN UPDATE.
I AM VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE CHALLENGES OF TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE, IN AN APPROPRIATE -- IN APPROPRIATELY EFFICIENT WAY, HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES, NOT MOVING BEYOND MISSION SCOPE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME UNDERSTANDING THAT THE -- IF YOU LIKE, THE DEMANDS ON US AS A COMMUNITY TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION AND THE DEGREE OF INTEREST OF THAT AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE INTEREST OF THAT IS CERTAINLY DRIVING INCREASING DEMANDS.
AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WOULD HAVE BEEN, IF I CAN USE THE WORD, NEUTRALLY IMPRESSED, WITHOUT NECESSARILY DENOTING APPROVAL, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED YESTERDAY DURING THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING CONSULTATION OF JUST HOW MUCH -- HOW MANY PROBLEMS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FORESAW, HOW MANY ACTIONS THEY THOUGHT TO TAKE FORWARD TO MEET OUR MISSION.
SO WE NEED TO THINK THROUGH AN APPROPRIATE WAY FOR HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT PROPER STAFFING FOR THIS.
AND IT IS CLEAR THAT ONE FIRST FACTOR THAT I SHOULD SHARE IS, ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD BUDGETED STAFFING AT SOMETHING CLOSE TO 60 FOR THE LAST 12, ACTUALLY LONGER THAN 12, MONTHS, ACTUAL STAFFING HAS RUN AT LESS THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THAT NUMBER BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO BE MANAGING CAUTIOUSLY AGAINST CASH, BECAUSE WE HAVE FACED, AS I SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY AT OUR LAST MEETING, A SAWTOOTH IN CASH RECEIPTS BECAUSE OF OUR BUDGETING PROCESS AS IT THEN STOOD.
AND, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE OF ISSUES OF LITIGATION COSTS, ET CETERA.
WE ARE NOW, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, HAVING BEEN -- GONE THROUGH SO SMOOTHLY AN VANCOUVER, WE ARE MOVING NOW TO FILL POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ON BUDGET BUT NOT BEEN -- WE HAVE NOT -- I HAVE NOT FELT COMFORTABLE TO MOVE CASH-WISE TO EMPLOY.
AND WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO ADDRESS DEMANDS OR SUGGESTIONS BROUGHT BY THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE BOARD OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS -- AGAIN, SOME OF THESE GO BACK 18 MONTHS -- ABOUT THINKING ABOUT HOW PROPERLY TO ACHIEVE PROPER SUPPORT FOR THE FUNCTIONS.
SO LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THOSE FUNCTIONS ARE IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING THERE IS A NEED FOR FOR SUPPORT.
APPARENTLY THERE'S A FUNCTION CALLED "PRESIDENT."
ONE OF THE VERY KEY FUNCTIONS THAT WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT AND WE'RE HEARING A LOT, AGAIN, HERE AT THIS MEETING IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH CONSTITUENCIES, IS AROUND STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION.
NOW, I SHOULD MAKE THE POINT THAT, OBVIOUSLY, ANYBODY INVOLVED IN STAFF AND DOING THE WORK THAT WE DO IS COMMUNICATING ALL THE TIME.
SO I'M ALWAYS HESITANT TO USE THE WORD "COMMUNICATION."
BUT I WANTED TO FOCUS THAT THERE'S A CLEAR FUNCTION ABOUT COMMUNICATION, AND SUPPORTING A TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION PROCESS, WHICH IS, I THINK, VERY IMPORTANT FOR DOING OUR WORK.
I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE MIKE PALAGE AND OTHERS HAVE OFTEN BEEN VERY STRONGLY PUTTING TO US THAT WE NEED TO BE REALLY FOCUSING ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS, WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON HOW WE HAVE THIS TWO-WAY INVOLVEMENT, AND HOW WE GET MESSAGES OUT.
THIS IS NOT EASY.
AND A LITTLE ADVERTISEMENT HERE, ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, OR ANYBODY ONLINE WHO HAS GOOD EXAMPLES OF HOW PEOPLE DO REALLY GOOD COMMUNICATIONS BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS IN THESE SORTS OF ENVIRONMENTS, I WOULD LOVE TO GET EXAMPLES.
IT'S NOT JUST A QUESTION, I THINK, OF RESOURCES HERE, THERE'S CLEARLY A QUESTION OF RESOURCES.
BUT AT THE MOMENT I THINK ALSO THERE'S A QUESTION OF GOOD MODELS.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A STRONG NEED FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SUPPORT.
WE HAVE -- I THINK MANY PEOPLE, WHEN THEY'RE INTERACTING AT LEAST WITH ME PERSONALLY, AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING TO ME, MAKE THE POINT THAT THE ICANN STAFF ARE CONSTANTLY FACED WITH THIS CHALLENGE OF HAVING TO DO SO MUCH WITH NOT -- MAYBE NOT A (INAUDIBLE) OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE QUESTION COMES BACK, "YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIVE ENOUGH," YOU KNOW, "THIS IS NOT DONE FAST ENOUGH," IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT -- YOU KNOW, PHRASES USED, "TRAINS RUNNING ON TIME," ET CETERA.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY VALID AND I THINK WELL UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED.
AND PART OF IT IS A RESOURCING -- A LOT OF IT IS A RESOURCING QUESTION.
AND THE OTHER PART IS A FOCUS QUESTION, A MANAGEMENT FOCUS QUESTION AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT FOCUS ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SUPPORT.
I PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT WE HAVE A LEGAL FUNCTION.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEED FOR WHAT -- I USE THE WORD CAREFULLY -- BUT WE HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE OBLIGATION, CUSTOMER SERVICE FUNCTION.
WE NEED TO SERVE AND WE DO SERVE PEOPLE FOR WHOM WE DO DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTION ACTIVITIES.
I CAN GIVE YOU EXAMPLES WOULD BE, FOR INSTANCE, IANA, IANA INTERACTION, INTERACTION WITH REGISTRIES, INTERACTION WITH REGISTRARS IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS AGAINST THE CONTRACTS.
COMPLIANCE TYPE ISSUES ARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
IF YOU LIKE, THIS IS CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND IT IS OUTWARD -- IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT -- YOU KNOW, I'D SAY PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION WE HAVE IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS THE SERVING OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITY THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE A POLICY FUNCTION, WHICH IS, I THINK, AGAIN, CLEAR AND VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE'VE HAD BOTH A NEED FOR GLOBAL -- THE INTERNATIONAL -- OUR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OR OUR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH MANY OF YOU PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW -- I'M ONLY GOING TO -- I'VE ONLY GOT TO MENTION WSIS TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
BUT ALSO THE ROLE WE PLAY AS A PART OF A GROUPING OF INTERNATIONAL INTERNET ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, SUPPORT EACH OTHER, COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, PUT FORWARD POSITIONS, UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER, IS -- OBVIOUSLY, HAS BEEN A NEED FOR ICANN, HAS BEEN AN INVOLVEMENT OF ICANN SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.
BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL RECOGNIZE IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE BRIEFINGS ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE, FOR INSTANCE, CAN SEE THAT.
RELATED TO THAT COMES, I THINK, AN EVOLUTION OF SOMETHING THAT I THINK BRUCE TONKIN FIRST SAID TO ME 18 MONTHS AGO, IS A RECOGNITION OF, IF YOU LIKE, THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL FUNCTION ABOUT OUTREACH OR, I THINK, INCREASINGLY, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S ACTUALLY A QUESTION OF ENGAGEMENT, SOME FORM OF STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT, STRATEGIC THOUGHT ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST TO BE REACTIVE AND BUILDING SENSE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE.
THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT DRAWS FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL OF THE OTHER PARTS OF OUR FUNCTION.
SO THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT FUNCTION AS WELL.
SO THAT'S BEEN SORT OF THE THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD -- WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT THE -- HAS BEEN ASKED OF THE STAFF.
WE THINK MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THAT STAFF AND SAY, OKAY, IF THAT'S THE FUNCTIONS, WHAT DO WE DO TO SUPPORT THOSE FUNCTIONS?
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?
AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME POINTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THERE'S A NEED AND WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS A POSITION OF RECOGNIZING SOME OF THESE POSITIONS OF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT POSITIONS.
AND I'D LIKE FIRST OF ALL TO MAKE A VERY CLEAR ANNOUNCEMENT AND CONGRATULATIONS POINT TO KURT PRITZ, WHO HAS DONE, I THINK, A VERY -- A MAGNIFICENT JOB IN WORKING A LOT, VERY CLOSELY, WITH THE REGISTRIES, AT THE REGISTRARS, WITH IDNS, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, HAS BEEN VERY -- IS, I THINK, A VERY SERVICES-FOCUSED PERSON.
VERY -- I MEAN, VERY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO PLEASE THE CUSTOMER, DELIGHT A CUSTOMER.
AND SO KURT IS ASSUMING THE POSITION OF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR SERVICES.
IN OTHER WORDS -- AND WE'LL BE LOOKING DIRECTLY AS TAKING ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF HOPING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DELIVERING VERY GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I THINK THAT'S --
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WE ARE ALSO, THEN -- I MIGHT JUST GO TO THIS NEXT SLIDE.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO -- COMPLEMENTARY TO THAT, TO REINFORCE THIS NEED FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE, MOVING NOW TO ADVERTISE FOR AND LOOK FOR A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR OPERATIONS, A CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER TYPE CHARACTER DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO LOOK AT THAT QUALITY ASSURANCE, THE TRAIN IS RUNNING ON TIME ASPECT, AND ENSURING THAT THE -- THAT THE PROCESS IS ABOUT A RESPONSIVENESS AND HOW WE OPERATE AS A BUSINESS INSIDE THAT RECEIVES THE RIGHT SORT OF DIRECT ATTENTION IT NEEDS TO HAVE.
AND THAT ADVERTISEMENT'S BEING PREPARED, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES.
AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, VERY IMPORTANT POSITION.
WE ALSO ARE LOOKING ABOUT ENGAGEMENT IN A POSITION THAT IS STILL EVOLUTIONARY, STILL LOOKING AT A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT POSITION AROUND THIS ENGAGEMENT FUNCTION, WHICH (INAUDIBLE).
I'D LIKE TO PARTICULARLY ALSO MAKE A SORT OF CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAVE A VICE PRESIDENT POSITION NOW FOR GLOBAL AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
AND THAT THERESA SWINEHART HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THAT POSITION.
MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THERESA.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A KEY AND IMPORTANT ROLE.
SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB IN MANY OF THESE AREAS, SHE'S ACTUALLY DONE A GREAT JOB WITH FEW RESOURCES.
BUT NOW GIVING HER A FEW MORE.
SO THERE'S A NEW POSITION OF VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WE'RE IN THE POSITION AT THE MOMENT OF -- IN FINAL INTERVIEW STAGE FOR A POSITION OF VICE PRESIDENT, POLICY COORDINATION.
AND THAT -- WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME FINAL DECISIONS ON THAT, I WOULD SAY, WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO AND BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THAT SO WE HAVE THAT POSITION FILLED.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BOTH PUTTING FORWARD CANDIDATES AND ALSO INVOLVED IN THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL FOR MYSELF.
THE OTHER POSITION THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO FILL AND MAY DO SO SHORTLY IS A POSITION WE'RE CALLING EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S RESPONSIBILITY, PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, IS ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION FUNCTION, AND POTENTIALLY ALSO SOME DEGREE OF ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS-TYPE FUNCTION, BOARD SUPPORT-TYPE FUNCTIONS AS WELL.
SUPPORTING HERE.
AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS, SOME OF THE WORK WE NEED TO DO THERE.
NOW, I'VE PUT BEFORE YOU NOW A SENIOR MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE WHICH IS AN EVOLUTION OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH UNDER THE PRESENT BUDGETARY SITUATION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY THIS EVOLUTION, I THINK, OF OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE TO TRY TO MEET MORE THE NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE RAISED TO US, TO MEET SOME OF THE CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE HAD ABOUT QUALITY ASSURANCE, ABOUT RESPONSIVENESS, TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS OF SERVING -- SERVING CUSTOMERS, THE CLIENTS, SOME OF THOSE ASPECT IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING A MORE-THAN-FULL-TIME JOB TO FOCUS, OUR FOCUS ON COMMUNICATIONS BEING AN IMPORTANT PART, WE NEED A DEDICATED MANAGEMENT TOWARDS.
SO I PUT THAT UP AS -- FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
IF I CAN JUST MOVE TO THE COMMUNICATIONS.
WE ARE LOOKING, THEN, ALSO AT RECRUITMENT, INCLUDING A RECRUITMENT FOR GENERAL MANAGER, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
AND IT IS MY HOPE AND INTENT THAT THIS POSITION WILL BE VERY MUCH DEDICATED TO THE SORT OF THING I THINK WAS FIRST HOPED FOR WHEN IT WAS -- WHEN THIS POSITION WAS FIRST DISCUSSED, A POSITION DEDICATED TOWARDS THE TWO -- MANAGING THIS TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, GETTING BETTER AT TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE USE TOOLS FOR TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
OTHER STAFF, OBVIOUSLY, A MEDIA STAFF, TECHNICAL WRITING STAFF.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL WEB STAFF, BECAUSE WE CLEARLY NEED TO REVAMP THE WEB SITE.
I DON'T THINK THAT NECESSARILY MEANS WE GET RID OF THE PRESENT ONE.
BUT WE'VE GOT, CLEARLY, COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS ABOUT HOW WE'RE USING OUR WEB SITE.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE THAT.
THAT'S A REALLY EASY THING TO SAY AND A VERY HARD THING TO DO, BY THE WAY, IN MY EXPERIENCE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE SOME TIME AND EFFORT ON THAT.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT MOVING INTO THINGS LIKE ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FUNCTIONALITY AND OTHER SORT OF TOOLS FOR INTERACTING POTENTIALLY ALSO WORKING WITH SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT HOW THEIR NEEDS MIGHT BE FOR SUCH TOOLS AND COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR MEMBERS.
SO I THINK THIS IS AN AREA WE NEED TO PLACE A LOT OF ATTENTION ON.
AND I THINK CERTAINLY ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD OUT OF THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO MUCH BETTER AT.
JUST QUICKLY, THEN, THAT'S THE SORT OF QUICK SUMMATION ON THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT ON THE STAFFING AND WHERE WE'RE MOVING ON STAFF.
ON THE IANA UPDATE, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY TELL PEOPLE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER DAVID'S ACTUALLY GIVING MORE DETAIL IN THE AGENDA, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE RESPONSIVENESS TO REQUESTERS.
I THINK THAT'S GOING WELL.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FULL- AND PART-TIME STAFF BEING HIRED.
AND THERE ARE AUTOMATION PROJECTS UNDERWAY FOR ALL AREAS, WHICH ARE CONTINUING.
BUT I PREFER TO HAVE DAVID ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THIS DIRECTLY RATHER THAN TO HAVE ME GO THROUGH THIS.
BUT I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE IANA IS ALSO WORKING TOWARDS A NEW WEB SITE.
IT HAS HAD THE SIMILAR FEEDBACK THAT ITS WEB SITE IS LESS THAN USEFUL.
AGAIN, I THINK THIS'LL BE A SITUATION WHERE WEB SITES WILL RUN IN PARALLEL.
THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND, INDEED, MACHINES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE RELIANT ON THE PRESENT WEB SITE.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE TAKING THE PRESENT WEB SITE DOWN.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A COMPLEMENTARY WEB SITE WHICH MIGHT BE MORE USER FRIENDLY TO THOSE COMING TO THE IANA WHO DON'T COME WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF USING THE IANA WEB SITE AS IT IS NOW.
.

>>VINT CERF: I'M SORRY, PAUL.
JUST A SMALL NOTE.
THEY COULDN'T HAVE 20 YEARS' OF EXPERIENCE USING A WEB SITE, BECAUSE THE WORLDWIDE WEB WASN'T INVENTED UNTIL 1989, AND IT DIDN'T BECOME POPULARLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 1994.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I KNEW IF I SAID THAT, I WALKED INTO SOMETHING.
SEE, THE TROUBLE IS, IF YOU'RE ORIGINALLY TRAINED IN HISTORY, YOU THROW THOSE NUMBERS OUT WITH GAY ABANDON.
THE LAST POINT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO -- AND TO THE BOARD -- IT'S ALSO AN ACTION THAT IS UNDERWAY NOW AND GOING -- AND IS BUILDING, IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP REGIONAL LIAISON NETWORK.
AND THIS IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT EXPERTISE, IN CHARGE OF LIAISING WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD REGIONS AND THEY ACT AS A NETWORK, COMPLEMENTING AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER IN RESPECTIVE AREAS.
THEY'RE VERY MUCH THERE TO SUPPORT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, TO SUPPORT THE AT-LARGE PROCESSES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, TO SUPPORT AND INTERACT WITH THE CCS AND WITH GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER MEMBERS IN THOSE REGIONS.
I'M NOT CERTAIN THEY'RE ALL IN THE ROOM, BUT BAHER ESMAT, PERHAPS HE CAN STAND UP FOR THOSE IN THIS ROOM WHO CAN SEE HIM.
HE HAS JOINED ICANN FROM -- HE'S IN EGYPT AND HAS JOINED US FROM THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT, BUT HAS HAD EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT HE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT WORKING ON GOVERNANCE ISSUES.
I'D LIKE TO PARTICULARLY PUT ON RECORD MY THANKS TO MINISTER TARIK OF EGYPT WHO HAS BEEN A GOOD AND CLOSE FRIEND AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US ON THIS POSITION.
BAHER IS ALSO ENGAGING IN THE WORLD ON THESE ISSUES.
AND HE IS A COURAGEOUS MAN.
SO WE APPRECIATE HIS JOINING US.
PABLO'S NEXT TO BAHER.
HE HAS JOINED US FROM LATIN AMERICA.
HE IS A CITIZEN OF MEXICO.
AND BY COINCIDENCE, I SUSPECT, PABLO IS A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GAC.
AND IS A -- BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN A LOT OF THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE ISSUES AS WELL, BUT HAS GOOD EXPERIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA AND IS WORKING IN LATIN AMERICA, RECENTLY WAS INVOLVED IN A TOUR IN LATIN AMERICA TALKING TO LAC TLDS, AND LACNIC, ET CETERA.
ANNE-RACHEL INNE, WHO I THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW, IS OUR REGIONAL LIAISON FOR AFRICA.
JACOB MALTHOUSE IS OUR REGIONAL LIAISON FOR CANADA AND THE CARIBBEAN.
AND GIOVANNI SEPPIA, WHO JOINED US FROM GENERAL MANAGER OF CENTR, IS OUR REGIONAL LIAISON FOR EUROPE.
AND I DOUBT WHETHER GIOVANNI'S IN THE ROOM.
HE'S OUT LIAISING.
THESE -- I THINK THIS IS A VERY HIGH-QUALITY TEAM.
I'M VERY PLEASED THAT THEY HAVE JOINED US.
AND THEY ARE PEOPLE THERE FOR TO YOU TALK TO, TO INTERACT WITH, TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO BE IN ENGAGEMENT.
THEY DON'T REPLACE THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS OR THE BOARD.
THEY DON'T REPLACE THE NEED THAT WE DO A GLOBAL FUNCTION.
THEY ARE THERE AS A LIAISON, AS A GLUE FOR COMMUNICATION.
AND I EXHORT TO YOU MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO THEM AND TO GET TO KNOW THEM.
THAT, CHAIRMAN, WOULD CONCLUDE MY REPORT.

>>VINT CERF: VERY GOOD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PAUL.
ALL OF WHICH -- ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE WONDERFULLY GOOD NEWS, ESPECIALLY THE AUGMENTATION OF STAFF WITH SUCH WONDERFULLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
I KNOW I PERSONALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM, AS I'M SURE THE REST OF THE BOARD WILL AS WELL.
IF OUR GNSO COUNSEL CHAIR IS READY, I'LL INVITE HIM TO MAKE THE COUNCIL REPORT NOW.
IT'S BRUCE TONKIN. I SEE HE'S ASSEMBLING HIMSELF AND ALL OF HIS EQUIPMENT.
SOME DAY WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS WIRELESSLY AND FROM YOUR SEAT.
OF COURSE IF IT'S NOT ADEQUATELY SECURE, SOMEONE WILL REPLACE YOUR SLIDES WITH THEIR SLIDES PARTWAY THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: VINT?

>>VINT CERF: YES, GO AHEAD, MOUHAMET.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: BEFORE BRUCE CONNECTS HIS LAPTOP, I THINK I HAVE A SHORT QUESTION BASED ON THE REPORT THAT THE CEO OF ICANN HAS MADE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE EVOLUTION IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT YOU HAVE INCREASED BASED ON ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS FACING NOW.
BUT MY QUESTION IS DO YOU THINK IT'S ENOUGH BASED ON ALL THE NEW CHALLENGES AND THE SIZE OF THE CHALLENGES WE ARE FACING? DO YOU THINK THAT THE EXISTING STRUCTURE YOU HAVE PRESENTED WILL BE ABLE TO COVER THE CHALLENGES THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS FACING NOW?

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, MOUHAMET.
BRUCE, I THINK YOU ARE ON -- THERE YOU ARE. YOU ARE UP.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: VINT, WHAT ABOUT AN ANSWER?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ANSWER MOUHAMET'S QUESTION?

>>VINT CERF: I'M SORRY. APOLOGIES.
GO AHEAD.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I THINK -- I THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE FOR THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE TODAY AND IT'S AN APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE BASED AROUND THE PRESENT BUDGET.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK OUT THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, PARTICULARLY AS WE LOOK AT THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS, AS TO WHETHER NEW CHALLENGES ARE BEING REINFORCED.
ONE THING THAT'S CLEAR TO ME IS WHERE WE GO WITH IDNS AND THE AMOUNT AND EFFORT AND TIME NEEDED IN IDNS, WHAT'S THE DEDICATED RESOURCES TO THAT.
SIMILARLY, THERE'S A QUESTION OF WHAT ARE THE DEDICATED RESOURCES THAT WE MAY NEED TO NEW GTLD PROCESS. IF WE MOVE TO NEW GTLDS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THAT QUESTION? THAT'S ALL BEEN OUTLINED IN THE OPERATIONAL PLAN.
SIMILARLY, AS I KNOW IT'S CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, HOW DO WE DO PROPER SUPPORT FOR ENGAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM PARTS OF THE WORLD TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ICANN PROCESS, AND HOW DO WE HAVE THAT SORT OF RESOURCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL COVERED A LOT IN THE PROJECTS IN THE OPERATIONAL PLAN PROCESS.
I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE SOME COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT AS ICANN IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT MULTISTAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATION WITH OUR PRESENT STRUCTURES, WE ARE IN THE POSITION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE SORT OF AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES AND BE FLEXIBLE OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD HANG ON TO THAT, BECAUSE IT DOES LET US CHANGE.
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT AS WE MAKE THIS EVOLUTION FROM A SMALL ORGANIZATION TO A MEDIUM-SIZED ORGANIZATION, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH -- ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AT THE STAFF LEVEL IS HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE TRANSITION TOWARDS MORE STRUCTURES, SOME DEGREE -- A GREATER DEGREE OF HIERARCHY. THERE IS ALWAYS A VERY IMPORTANT CHALLENGE OF HOW DO YOU BRING STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE THING FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THROUGH TO A NEW ORGANIZATION WHICH NO LONGER WE TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING AROUND THE WATER COOLER. NOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SORT OF STRUCTURE. AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES WE HAVE GOT TO MIGRATE TO.
I THINK ONE THINGS WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT AS WE GO TO THAT PROCESS IS JUST HOW MANY REPORTS THE CEO RECEIVES. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROPOSAL I PUT TO YOU IS THESE POSITIONS OF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS. I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO MOUHAMET, I HOPE THERE ARE HOOKS IN THAT STRUCTURE THAT WILL LET US KEEP EVOLVING. AND IF WE SEE AND THE COMMUNITY SEES AND WE SEE AS A RESULT OF THE COMMUNITY'S DEMANDS THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF CHANGE THAT, WE SHOULD FEEL SAFE TO DO SO.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY. THANK YOU, PAUL.
BRUCE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE GNSO COUNCIL REPORT NOW.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: THANK YOU, VINT.
THE TOPICS I'LL COVER IN THE REPORT IS, I GUESS, PROGRESS ON OUR WORK ON WHOIS. NEW GTLDS, CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS FOR GTLDS, IDNS, AND JUST A VERY SHORT MENTION OF A DISCUSSION WE HAD THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS MORNING ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION NAMES.
FIRSTLY, WITH RESPECT TO WHOIS, THE WHOIS TASK FORCE HAS BEEN WORKING ON A DEFINITION OF PURPOSE TO GET CLARITY AROUND THAT.
THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE TASK FORCE. THEY WERE DISCUSSED IN OUR COUNCIL MEETING TODAY, AND WE'LL BE VOTING ON THOSE IN THE NEXT ONE OR TWO WEEKS TO MAKE A CHOICE. AND THEIR WORK IS CONTINUING ON THE TOPICS OF ACCESS CONTROL, WHO GETS ACCESS TO WHAT DATA.
AND ACCURACY IMPROVEMENT.
WITH RESPECT TO THE TOPIC OF INTRODUCING NEW GTLDS, WE BROKE THE DISCUSSION UP INTO A NUMBER OF AREAS, ONE OF WHICH WAS THE QUESTION OF SHOULD NEW GTLDS BE INTRODUCED AT ALL. AND I GUESS THE ROUGH CONSENSUS SO FAR IS THAT, YES. BUT SUBJECT TO GETTING THE SELECTION CRITERIA RIGHT.
SO THAT, THEN, BRINGS US TO SELECTION CRITERIA.
SOME CONSTITUENCIES HAVE STATED THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUDGE THE CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION CRITERIA. AND THOSE ARE PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THE ICANN MISSION AND BYLAWS. BUT CERTAINLY THAT THEY BE FAIRLY NEUTRAL, THEY BE OBJECTIVE, AND THEY BE PREDICTABLE.
AND ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING PREDICTABLE IS IF YOU APPLY FOR A NEW GTLD, SAY IN 2006, AND THEN YOU PUT EXACTLY THE SAME APPLICATION FORM IN 2007 WITH PERHAPS A DIFFERENT EVALUATION PANEL, THAT YOU WOULD HOPEFULLY GET THE SAME ANSWER. SO THAT THE PROCESS IS FAIRLY OBJECTIVE AND PREDICTABLE.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT SELECTION CRITERIA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK. AND SOME WILL BREAK DOWN INTO THOSE THAT HAD STRONG SUPPORT, AND STRONG SUPPORT IS PROBABLY WHERE THERE IS, SAY, FOUR OR MORE CONSTITUENCIES THAT SUPPORT IT. AND I CAN SAY THAT THERE WAS BASICALLY UNANIMOUS SUPPORT THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE SELECTION CRITERIA.
THE ONE THAT WAS DISCUSSED SPECIFICALLY WAS THAT THE -- ANY IDN-BASED IMPLEMENTATIONS MEET THE STANDARDS.
AND THEN THE INTENT IS ALSO TO TRY AND IDENTIFY A SELECTIVE SET OF INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE RFCS AND OTHER STANDARDS THAT MIGHT EXIST THAT SPECIFICALLY RELATE TO THE DNS THAT AN OPERATOR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH.
WE FEEL THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF APPLICATION FEE. THE INTENT OF THAT IS IT WOULD PAY FOR THE COST OF DOING AN APPLICATION PROCESS, BECAUSE THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND OTHERS WITH RESPECT TO THE -- HOW THAT FEE IS PAID.
THE OPERATOR WOULD NEED TO DEMONSTRATE FINANCIAL VIABILITY. THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT THIS AS TO ARE WE TRYING TO EVALUATE WHETHER IT'S A GOOD BUSINESS OR A BAD BUSINESS. AND I THINK IT SORT OF CONVERGED DOWN TO SAYING THAT WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THERE IS DO THEY HAVE A PLAN THAT PROVIDES CREDIBILITY TO THEIR STATEMENT THAT THEY CAN MEET THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
SO IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL CRITERIA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT REQUIRE SOME SORT OF DIVERSITY OR DISASTER RECOVERY BUT THE BUDGET IS ONE DOLLAR, YOU WOULD TEND TO THINK THAT THEY MAY NOT REALLY BE ABLE TO MEET THAT TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
THE OTHER THING WAS THE CONCEPT OF TRYING TO CLEARLY DIFFERENTIATE I GUESS THE INTENDED USE OF THE DOMAIN NAME SPACE WITH RESPECT TO ITS PURPOSE FROM OTHER EXISTING DOMAIN NAME SPACES. AND I GUESS THE EXAMPLE HERE WOULD BE THAT IF WE HAVE A DOMAIN SPACE SUCH AS .JOBS, IT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO INTRODUCE ANOTHER DOMAIN SPACE CALLED .EMPLOYMENT IF THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
BUT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO INTRODUCE .VACATION FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE JOBS.
THE SELECTION -- FURTHER SELECTION CRITERIA THAT HAD STRONG SUPPORT WAS THE CONCEPT OF USING ICANN ACCREDITED REGISTRARS. ICANN GOES THROUGH A PROCESS OF ACCREDITING REGISTRARS AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE COMPLYING AND HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO MANAGE DNS RECORDS. AND SO THERE SEEMED TO BE STRONG SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING WITH THAT PROCESS.
THERE WAS ALSO THE CONCEPT THAT IF A TLD HAS SOME FORM OF PURPOSE OR CHARTER, THAT THEY HAVE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE REGISTERING THAT DOMAIN SPACE COMPLY WITH THAT CHARTER, AND THERE'S SOME MECHANISMS TO ADDRESS VIOLATIONS.
AND FINALLY, WHICH IS PROBABLY FAIRLY OBVIOUS, AND THIS HAD SUPPORT FROM EVERYBODY, THAT THE NEW OPERATOR OR NEW GTLD WOULD MEET ICANN POLICIES IN PLACE AT THE TIME.
SO THOSE ARE ALL CRITERIA THAT HAD STRONG SUPPORT.
AND THE INTENT FOR THE NEXT STEP THERE IS TO BASICALLY TAKE THOSE SELECTION CRITERIA THAT HAD STRONG SUPPORT AND TRY TO CREATE AN EXAMPLE OR REFERENCE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOW THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. AND THAT WOULD HELP US TO CONSIDER DO WE HAVE THE POLICIES FOR SELECTION CRITERIA RIGHT, WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN AN ACTUAL RFP.
AND IN A LOT OF THE CRITERIA WE HAVE MENTIONED SO FAR HAVE BEEN PROBABLY CONSISTENT WITH MUCH OF THE CRITERIA OF THE PREVIOUS ROUNDS WITH RESPECT TO TECHNICAL CRITERIA, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THAT WE CAN DRAW INFORMATION FROM THOSE RFPS TO JUST GET A SKELETON OF WHAT AN RFP MIGHT LOOK LIKE SO FAR.
THERE ARE OTHER CRITERIA THAT AT THIS STAGE ONLY HAVE MEDIUM SUPPORT. AND BY "MEDIUM," I'M SAYING ROUGHLY HALF THE CONSTITUENCIES IN THE GNSO SUPPORTED.
AND IT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME CONSTITUENCIES THAT SUPPORT ALL OF THESE CRITERIA. AND THEY ARE MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THAT AN APPLICANT MUST REPRESENT A WELL-DEFINED COMMUNITY, AND THE REGISTRANTS WOULD BE LIMITED TO MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY. AND AN ALTERNATIVE VERSION OF THIS, WHICH DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU TO REPRESENT A COMMUNITY BEFORE YOU PUT A PROPOSAL FORWARD, IS THAT THE APPLICANTS WOULD ESTABLISH A CHARTER THAT ADDRESSES A DEFINED PURPOSE WITH ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND THAT REGISTRANTS MUST MEET THAT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCURATE VERIFICATION OF THE ELIGIBILITY OF THE REGISTRANT, AND AN EXAMPLE OF A TLD THAT'S DOING THIS AT THE MOMENT IS .TRAVEL WHERE THERE IS AN AUTHENTICATION PROCESS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN SOME WAY INVOLVED IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY BEFORE YOU ARE ABLE TO REGISTER A DOMAIN NAME IN THAT DOMAIN NAME SPACE.
AND FINALLY, THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME REQUIREMENT FOR THE APPLICANT TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS FOR THE GLOBAL INTERNET COMMUNITY.
SO HAVING LOOKED AT THE SELECTION CRITERIA, THE NEXT TOPIC IS THEN HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE PROCESS OF ALLOCATING TLDS TO THOSE APPLICANTS. SO ASSUMING YOU HAVE A NUMBER THAT HAVE MET THE SELECTION CRITERIA, YOU MAY WELL, IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, YOU MIGHT HAVE A PARTICULAR ALLOCATION OF ICANN STAFF RESOURCES TO MANAGE THE PROCESS OF INTRODUCING TLDS. SO YOU MAY HAVE SOME LIMITED NUMBER OF TLDS THAT YOU CAN INTRODUCE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
SO THEN YOU'D NEED TO DECIDE, WELL, IF I HAVE 20 APPLICANTS THAT HAVE MET THE SELECTION CRITERIA BUT I ONLY HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCING TO INTRODUCE 10, WHICH 10 DO I CHOOSE?
ALTERNATIVELY, IF I HAVE TWO APPLICANTS FOR THE SAME STRING OR MAYBE THE SAME PURPOSE, WHICH APPLICANT DO I CHOOSE?
THE TWO BROAD METHODS THAT WERE DISCUSSED WAS, ONE, THE TRADITIONAL FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED APPROACH. SO IF HAD 20 APPLICATIONS AND ONLY 10 AVAILABLE POSITIONS, I WOULD PROCESS THE FIRST TEN THAT PASSED THE SELECTION CRITERIA AND THEY WOULD GET THOSE TEN POSITIONS.
AND THEN SEPARATELY DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF CONFLICT WITH THE SAME STRING.
OR THE MAIN ALTERNATIVE TO THAT IS -- WAS DESCRIBED AS COMPARATIVE EVALUATION, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU WOULD ATTEMPT TO RANK THE APPLICANTS WITH RESPECT TO SELECTION CRITERIA. AND YOU MAY WELL DIVIDE THOSE SELECTION CRITERIA INTO ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE .NET EVALUATION PROCESS, WHERE THERE WAS A SELECTION OF A SET OF SELECTION CRITERIA. AN INDEPENDENT BODY WAS ASKED TO BASICALLY EVALUATE THE APPLICANTS AND SCORE THEM AGAINST EACH OF THE CRITERIA. AND THEN ULTIMATELY SOME CRITERIA WERE EITHER YES OR NO, YOU EITHER MET THE TECHNICAL SPEC OR YOU DIDN'T, AND OTHER CRITERIA, IF YOU HAVE A LOOK AT THESE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST ONE IN PARTICULAR, "EXPLAIN HOW THE TLD MAXIMIZES BENEFITS FOR THE GLOBAL INTERNET COMMUNITY" IS NOT REALLY A YES/NO ANSWER. IT'S REALLY HOW WELL ARE YOU ABLE TO PUT YOUR POSITION WITH RESPECT TO MAXIMIZING BENEFITS.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF A RELATIVE CRITERIA, THAT IN THIS COMPARATIVE EVALUATION PROCESS SOME DECISION BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE WOULD BE MADE AS TO WHICH MEETS THAT -- WHICH APPLICANT HAS THE BEST ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, ESSENTIALLY.
SO THAT'S ALLOCATION METHODS.
AND I SAID THAT I THINK THE COMMITTEE SO FAR IS ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN THESE TWO OPTIONS. AND THERE IS, IN FACT, SOME MEMBERS THAT THINK THAT YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THE METHOD DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF APPLICANT. SO IF THE APPLICANT WAS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, IT MIGHT FALL INTO ONE CATEGORY, AND IF THEY WERE FOR-PROFIT THEY MIGHT FALL INTO ANOTHER CATEGORY. SO THEN YOU HAVE THE ISSUE OF IDENTIFYING WHICH CATEGORY IS THE APPLICANT IN AND THEN YOU'D NEED TO CHOOSE WHICH ALLOCATION METHOD. BUT THAT'S PROBABLY IN THE MINORITY. MOST OF THE COMMITTEE WAS SPLIT BETWEEN WHETHER THEY WANTED ONE OF THESE ALLOCATION METHODS OR THE OTHER ONE OF THE ALLOCATION METHODS.
THE NEXT TOPIC FOR US TO ADDRESS IS WHAT CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE FUTURE AND WHAT FORM OF THE AGREEMENT SHOULD THERE BE BETWEEN ICANN AND THE NEW TLD OPERATOR, WHAT CONSTRAINTS SHOULD THERE BE. AND THIS WE WILL BE WORKING ON OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF THE ICANN MEETING IN MARRAKESH.
SO IN TERMS OF A PROCESS GOING FORWARD, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS AS WE MOVE THROUGH EACH OF THESE SELECTION CRITERIA AND DISCUSS THEM AND IDENTIFY WHERE THERE IS AGREEMENT AND WHERE THERE IS NOT, WE ARE DRAFTING INITIAL REPORTS. AND THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE GNSO WEB SITE, AS TYPICALLY AT THE END OF EACH OF OUR MEETINGS ON THIS TOPIC.
AND ULTIMATELY, WE'LL HAVE A FINAL INITIAL REPORT THAT WILL COVER ALL THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND THAT WILL BE POSTED ON THE ICANN WEB SITE PRIOR TO THE MARRAKESH MEETING.
I EXPECT THAT IN SOME AREAS THERE WILL BE A FAIRLY DEFINITIVE POLICY SUGGESTION WHICH HAS VERY STRONG SUPPORT, AND IN SOME AREAS WE'LL BE PRESENTING SOME ALTERNATIVES WHERE THE COUNCIL SEEMS TO BE EVENLY SPLIT, AND WE'LL BE SEEKING FURTHER INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AND OTHER PARTS OF THE ICANN COMMUNITY TO GET SOME GUIDANCE ON THAT.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, AFTER WE GO THROUGH THAT FINAL COMMENT AND INPUT PROCESS, WE WOULD THEN NEED TO VOTE IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE MAY NOT HAVE COMPLETE AGREEMENT.
I SEE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR IS WE BELIEVE WE HAVE MADE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON EACH OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE WE HAVE EXAMINED SO FAR. BUT THE WAY WE HAVE DONE THAT IS, INSTEAD OF HAVING TELECONFERENCES WHERE YOU SORT OF SPEND AN HOUR EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'VE HAD SOME VERY INTENSIVE, FOCUSED PHYSICAL MEETINGS. WE HAD A TWO-DAY MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ANYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT WILL ATTEST TO THE PACE AT WHICH THAT MEETING WENT. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH TWO VERY FULL DAYS.
AND ALSO THIS PAST WEEKEND IN WELLINGTON WE ALSO SPENT TWO VERY FULL DAYS LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES.
I THINK WE NEED ANOTHER TWO OR THREE FULL-DAY MEETING TO ADDRESS THE CONTRACTUAL TOPIC, WHICH WILL INCLUDE SOME BRIEFINGS FROM STAFF ON HOW CONTRACTS WORK AND SO ON. BUT HOPEFULLY BY MARRAKESH WE'LL HAVE A FAIRLY SOLID PROPOSAL FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO CONSIDER AND PROVIDE INPUT ON.
THEN WE HAVE A VERY BIG GAP BETWEEN MARRAKESH AND SAO PAULO OF SIX MONTHS, AND WE NEED TO WORK OUT, WELL, WHAT CAN WE ACHIEVE WITHIN THAT GAP THAT ALSO MAKES SURE WE GET AS MUCH PARTICIPATION AS POSSIBLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT POLICY.
THE OTHER POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT WAS KICKED OFF IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR WAS LOOKING AT THE CURRENT CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS THAT HAVE CAUSED SO MUCH, I GUESS, DEBATE IN THE LAST YEAR, WHICH RESULTED FROM CHANGES TO THE .NET AND .COM AGREEMENTS. THE TOPICS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT DEBATE, AND THESE WERE ALL TOPICS THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN MEETINGS IN VANCOUVER, BUT THEY ARE AROUND TOPICS SUCH AS THE REGISTRY AGREEMENT RENEWAL PROCESS. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY YEARS SHOULD A REGISTRY AGREEMENT BE FOR, AND WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE TERM OF THAT AGREEMENT. SOME REGISTRY AGREEMENTS TODAY HAVE THE OPTION OF EFFECTIVELY A PRESUMPTION OF RENEWAL THAT PROVIDED THAT THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR CURRENT CONTRACT, IT WOULD JUST AUTOMATICALLY ROLL OVER INTO A NEW CONTRACT. OTHER REGISTRY OPERATORS DON'T HAVE THAT, SO THEY REALLY HAVE NO CERTAINTY BEYOND THE LENGTH OF THEIR CONTRACT.
THEN THERE IS THE ISSUE THAT REGISTRY AGREEMENTS HAVE PROVISION IN THEIR CONTRACT SUCH THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLY WITH FUTURE ICANN POLICIES THAT ARE DEVELOPED. BUT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME BUSINESS CERTAINTY, RATHER THAN JUST SAYING "SIGN THIS CONTRACT FOR FIVE YEARS AND WE CAN CHANGE IT IN ANY WAY WE LIKE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS," THE CONTRACT IS CONSTRAINED SUCH THAT YOU CAN ONLY MAKE CHANGES IN SOME VERY SPECIFIC AREAS, AND THERE'S ALSO SOME SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT MAKE CHANGES. SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT THE RIGHT BALANCE GOING FORWARD.
ALL REGISTRY AGREEMENTS TODAY CURRENTLY HAVE SOME FORM OF PRICE CONTROL. TYPICALLY IT'S A MAXIMUM PRICE THAT'S CAPPED. THEY CAN CHARGE ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT PRICE PROVIDING THEY TREAT ALL REGISTRARS FAIRLY, BUT THEY CAN'T INCREASE THEIR PRICE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
THE .COM AGREEMENT CHANGED THAT SLIGHTLY SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE BY 7% IN FOUR OUT OF THE NEXT SIX YEARS. THE QUESTION IS, IS PRICE CONTROL EVEN APPROPRIATE GOING FORWARD? AND IF SO, WHAT SORT OF CONTROL SHOULD BE THERE?
HOW SHOULD ICANN SET FEES FOR REGISTRY OPERATORS? IS THERE SOME MODEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE USING RATHER THAN JUST NEGOTIATING ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS?
THE DATA THAT A REGISTRY COLLECTS -- OR CLEARLY THEY COLLECT DATA FROM REGISTRARS BUT THEY ALSO OPERATE A DNS NAME SERVER, AND YOU CAN COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE IP ADDRESSES THAT ARE USED TO ACCESS THAT NAME SERVER. AND THAT INFORMATION MAY OR MAY NOT BE USEFUL.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY CONSTRAINTS ON THE USE OF SUCH DATA? AND SHOULD THERE BE ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR A REGISTRY OPERATOR TO RESEARCH AND INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE?
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE VARIABLE IN A REGISTRY CONTRACT, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS REGISTRY CONTRACTS TAKE SO LONG TO COMPLETE, YOU WILL SEE A BOARD AT A PARTICULAR MEETING WILL AUTHORIZE THE STAFF TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT, AND IN SOME CASES IT'S A YEAR OR LONGER BEFORE THE CONTRACT IS SIGNED, BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS GET NEGOTIATED.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THE GNSO IS LOOKING AT IS MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE SOME POLICY AROUND THAT TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY. AND SO THEN AT LEAST GOING FORWARD, YOU ARE NOT DOING SO MUCH NEGOTIATION.
ON INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES, THE GNSO COUNCIL REQUESTED AN ISSUES REPORT IN OUR MEETING IN VANCOUVER, BUT WE'VE RECOGNIZED THAT -- I THINK IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING WITHIN THE ICANN COMMUNITY IN TALKING ABOUT IDNS THAT THE POLICY ISSUES GET CONFUSED WITH THE TECHNICAL ISSUES AND VICE VERSA.
AND SO THE COUNCIL WAS REALLY RECOGNIZING THAT THAT INITIALLY IS NOT AN EASY TASK.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW DISCUSSIONS WITH PARTS OF ICANN AT THIS MEETING. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE GNSO COUNCIL MET WITH THE ICANN BOARD ON SUNDAY NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN SOME MORE DETAIL.
WE -- I ALSO PRESENTED TO THE CCNSO ON THIS TOPIC.
SO GENERALLY, WHAT WE SEE THE NEXT STEPS IS, LET'S CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHAT ARE ALL THE ISSUES WE KNOW ABOUT THAT ARE POLICY ISSUES AROUND THE INTRODUCTION OF IDNS. THEN IDENTIFY, OUT OF THOSE ISSUES, WHICH ARE THE ONES WE CAN WORK ON TO GET A RESULT FAIRLY QUICKLY, WHICH MIGHT MEAN THAT WE CONSTRAIN THE INTRODUCTION IN SOME WAY, SAME AS WE DID WHEN WE INTRODUCED NEW GTLDS BACK IN 2000. WE SORT OF MADE A CAUTIOUS FIRST STEP, THEN EVALUATED WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT STEP WAS BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER. AND I THINK WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IN IDNS IS VERY SIMILAR BY SAYING WE CAN'T WAIT FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS TO DEBATE ALL THE POLICY ISSUES. WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP THAT WE SHOULD MAKE THIS YEAR AND FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON DEVELOPING A POLICY AROUND THAT NEXT STEP THAT ALLOWS US TO INTRODUCE IDN STRINGS INTO THE ROOT THIS YEAR.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THIS WE NEED TO HAVE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE GNSO AND THE CCNSO. AND I HAVE USED THE TERM COORDINATE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO SORT OF WORK TOGETHER ON IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES. IDENTIFY WHICH ISSUES WE MIGHT WANT TO WORK ON INDEPENDENTLY AND WORK ON WHAT ISSUES WE MIGHT WANT TO WORK ON TOGETHER.
BUT MAINLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS IDENTIFY HOW BEST TO MAKE PROGRESS THIS YEAR. AND IN DOING SO, WOULD SEEK ADVICE FROM THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED LATE LAST YEAR.
WE USED THIS TO TALK IN TERMS OF OUTCOMES. WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE A TIMELY BENEFIT FOR INTERNET USERS. WE ARE TRYING TO ENSURE USER EXPECTATIONS ARE MET, SO ANYTHING THAT WE DO IN TERMS OF INTRODUCING IDNS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE USER EXPECTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THAT INTRODUCTION ARE MET.
AND ENSURE THAT USERS THAT WANT TO USE THOSE IDNS HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE.
SO THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING DO. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE PERFECT WHEN WE MAKE THE FIRST DECISION HERE, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO BEAR IN MIND.
FINALLY, THERE'S BEEN, I GUESS, A LONGSTANDING DEBATE ABOUT WHAT THE GNSO SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO WITH RESPECT TO PLACE NAME OR NAMES OF INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THE GNSO'S VIEW ON THIS IS THAT WE WILL COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL TREATIES WITH RESPEC TO THESE TOPICS. WE HAVE YET TO SEE AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY OR LAW THAT DEALS WITH THESE PLACE NAMES AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
WE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THERE IS SOME PROVISIONS IN INTERNATIONAL TREATIES THAT MIGHT RELATE TO NAMES OF INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE'RE STILL VERY UNCLEAR ON THIS, THOUGH, SO THE NEXT STEP THE COUNCIL HAS ASKED FOR IS SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE TO PERHAPS SPECIFICALLY POINT OUT THE RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND LAWS AND THE RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THOSE. AND HOPEFULLY THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE WORK WITH THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONSTITUENCY THAT I BELIVE HAS ALREADY DONE SUBSTANTIAL ANALYSIS IN THIS AREA.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK GRANT FORSYTH WHO IS LEAVING THE COUNCIL AT THE END OF THIS MEETING. HE HAS BEEN A REPRESENTATIVE THE BUSINESS USER'S CONSTITUENCY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
IN FACT, BACK IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE GNSO, WHEN WE HAD THE NAMES COUNCIL. AND ALSO THANK JORDYN BUCHANAN WHO HAS BEEN CHAIR OF THE WHOIS TASK FORCE SINCE 2003. THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN MOVING FORWARD IN THEIR CAREERS TO NEW AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT AND THEY ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME.
SO CERTAINLY THANK THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
AND THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BRUCE.
I ACTUALLY SEVERAL QUESTIONS I SEE THE BOARD HAD. SUSAN HAD ONE, MICHAEL HAD ONE AND ROBERTO HAD ONE. SUSAN.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANK YOU. BRUCE, IT'S CLEAR YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN SPENDING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY ON THIS AND HAVE MADE A GREAT DEAL OF PROGRESS AND THAT THE MEETING IN WASHINGTON APPEARS TO HAVE PUSHED THINGS ALONG QUITE A BIT, AS THIS MEETING AS DONE AS WELL.
I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO GET YOUR REPORT DONE BY THE END OF THE MARRAKESH MEETING IF YOU MET IN THE INTERIM TOGETHER AGAIN AS A GROUP?

>>BRUCE TONKIN: YEAH, SO WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PLANNING A POTENTIAL MEETING, AND THIS IS VERY EARLY DAYS, BUT A POTENTIAL MEETING IN BRUSSELS SOMETIME IN MAY TO TRY AND MOVE THAT -- KEEP MOVING THAT POLICY FORWARD.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M SORRY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THE BOARD WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: THE INTENT IS WE WILL BE PUBLISHING INITIAL -- ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING TO LOOK AT OR SOMETHING TO SIGN ON? THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: SOMETHING TO DECIDE ON. I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE WHEN THE END OF THE CONSULTATION PERIOD IS.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: OKAY. I'M EXPECTING THAT WILL BE SOMETIME BETWEEN THE MARRAKESH MEETING AND THE SAO PAULO MEETING. BUT AT THIS STAGE, I CAN'T BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWER.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY. MICHAEL.

>>MICHAEL PALAGE: THANK YOU, BRUCE.
MY QUESTION NEEDS TO GO TO RESOURCES. OBVIOUSLY THESE ON-SITE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN VERY PRODUCTIVE. WHAT COST HAVE ICANN BORE AND WHAT COST HAVE THE COUNCILLORS HAD TO EXPEND? AGAIN, I AM LOOKING AT IF THIS IS PRODUCTIVE, TRYING TO BUDGET IT IN IN FUTURE BUDGETS.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: YEAH, I THINK THE MEETING IN WASHINGTON, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD A MEMBER OF THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY THAT WAS WILLING TO PROVIDE US A VENUE. AND SO THERE WASN'T ANY VENUE COSTS. THERE WERE TRAVELING COSTS FOR THE ICANN STAFF TO ATTEND THAT MEETING BECAUSE THE POLICY STAFF ARE BASED IN BRUSSELS, SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THEIR TRAVEL EXPENSES TO THAT VENUE.
I THINK THERE WAS ALSO -- YEAH, THERE WAS ALSO, I THINK, KURT PRITZ ATTENDED FROM THE MARINA DEL REY OFFICE, SO THERE WERE TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR STAFF AND OBVIOUSLY THE COST OF THEIR TIME.
WITH RESPECT TO THE WELLINGTON MEETING, I BELIEVE THE ICANN ORGANIZATION HAS HAD TO PAY FOR COSTS RELATED TO THE VENUE ON THE WEEKEND.
WITH RESPECT TO THE WELLINGTON MEETING, I BELIEVE THE ICANN ORGANIZATION HAS HAD TO PAY FOR COSTS RELATING TO THE VENUE ON THE WEEKEND AND THE TRAVEL COSTS OF STAFF WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED IN THEIR TRAVEL COSTS FOR THIS MEETING.
THE REST OF THE COSTS HAVE BEEN BORNE BY MEMBERS OF THE GNSO IN TERMS OF THEIR TRAVEL EXPENSES.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT ON QUITE COMPLEX ISSUES, THAT THE VALUE OF FACE-TO-FACE TIME IN A ROOM WHERE YOU'RE FOCUSED, YOU'VE GOT NO OTHER DISTRACTIONS AND YOU DON'T GET DINNER UNTIL WE FINISH THE TOPIC WE'RE WORKING ON, IS VERY CONDUCIVE TO MAKING PROGRESS.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY.
ROBERTO?
NO.
I SEE TWO OTHER HANDS UP.
PLEASE REMEMBER, WE HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD LATER, TOO.
BUT I SEE MOUHAMET AND PETER.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU, BRUCE.
I JUST ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
IT'S REGARDING THE IGOS.
I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS FURTHER DISCUSSION IF THE EXTENSION OF IGOS WILL GO BEYOND THE DEFINITION YOU ALREADY MAKE ON THAT, OR JUST BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER ORGANIZATION INSIDE ICANN THAT TAKES CARE OF EITHER SENSITIVE NAME OR SENSIBLE NAME LIKE THE GEOPOLITICAL AND (INAUDIBLE) STUFF.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE GNSO?
JUST BECAUSE --

>>BRUCE TONKIN: I THINK THE POSITION OF THE GNSO IS THAT WE DON'T CREATE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND NAMES.
THE GNSO DEVELOPED -- PREDATED THE GNSO, BUT DEVELOPED A DISPUTE PROCESS TO DEAL WITH TRADEMARKS.
BUT WE DIDN'T DEVELOP TRADEMARK LAW.
WE SIMPLY REFERENCE TRADEMARK LAW AND SAID WE NEED TO HAVE A DISPUTE PROCESS THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT FOR REGISTRANTS TO USE.
WE WOULD USE THE SAME APPROACH WITH IGOS.
IF THERE IS A LAW OUT THERE, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS YET -- WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS YET, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON.
IF THERE IS A LAW OUT THERE, WE MIGHT WELL LOOK AT INTRODUCING A DISPUTE PROCESS TO DEAL WITH THAT, WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT EXISTING LAW.
WITH RESPECT TO PLACE NAMES, WE ARE NOT YET AWARE OF WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL LAW IS WITH RESPECT TO THAT TOPIC.
WE WOULDN'T BE CREATING A RULE ABOUT PLACE NAMES.
WE WOULD JUST COMPLY WITH A RULE THAT'S MADE BY ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATELY -- BODY APPROPRIATE FOR DOING THAT.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY.
PETER -- OH, I'M SORRY.
MOUHAMET, GO AHEAD.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: I THINK THAT WE HAVE SOME RESOLUTION IN THE PAST WHERE ICANN IS TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING FORWARD ON THE TABLE REGARDING THIS QUESTION.
AND SINCE THE GNSO HAVE ALREADY -- I MEAN, GO REALLY FAR IN THE QUESTION, AND I THINK THAT TO BE CONSISTENT AS A WHOLE ORGANIZATION, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF THERE IS ANY LINKAGE BETWEEN THESE IGO THINGS IN WHICH YOU HAVE A GOOD COVERAGE AND THE QUESTION ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES RELATED TO SOME NAMING ISSUE, LIKE THE ONE WE ALREADY PUT REGARDING THE QUESTION THAT THE GAC HAVE PUT ON THE TABLE. BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE ANY REFERENCE INTERNAL TO ICANN TO SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP APPLY, I MEAN, THE RULES CORRECTLY.
JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE REFERENCE ON THE QUESTION.
AND I THINK THAT THE QUESTION YOU ARE COVERING THROUGH YOUR -- THROUGH THE TASK FORCE YOU HAVE THERE WILL BE VERY COMPLEMENTARY TO THE WILLING THAT ICANN HAS TO COVER ALL THE ISSUES RELATED TO NAMES IN WHICH WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING REALLY --

>>BRUCE TONKIN: IT'S VERY EARLY DAYS.
I DON'T WANT TO RAISE EXPECTATIONS TOO HIGH.
WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY CREATED A -- IF YOU'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CHOICE OF NAME ISSUE, WE HAVEN'T CREATED A TASK FORCE ON THAT SPECIFIC TOPIC AS YET.
WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT THE LAW IS FIRST BEFORE WE'D EVEN START ANY WORK.

>>VINT CERF: SO -- JUST SO WE CAN -- I WANT TO ALERT THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE AHEAD PRETTY QUICKLY HERE.
JUST ONE IMPORTANT COMMENT.
TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN SIMPLY IDENTIFY AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY, THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
SO YOU'VE JUST DONE THAT IN SOME IMPLICIT WAY.
PETER, LAST QUESTION, SHORT, AND THEN WE GO ON.

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANKS, VINT.
THANK YOU FOR AN EXCELLENT REPORT.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, PARTICULARLY ON GTLDS.
SOMETHING TO SUSAN, IN TERMS OF TIMING AND MIKE IN TERMS OF RESOURCING.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN ANOMALY IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE -- ANY NOMINATING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS TO YOUR WORKING GROUPS WOULD HAVE TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN FUNDED BY ICANN.
AND WE SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM THAT WE ARE FUNDING SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT FUND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WORK.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE MUST BE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE TRAVEL COSTS TO SPECIAL MEETINGS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO WASHINGTON TO WORK ON THESE THINGS SHOULD ALSO BE MET BY ICANN.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: IS THAT A STATEMENT OR A QUESTION?

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THAT'S A QUESTION.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: IT'S NOT MY ROLE TO SPEND ICANN'S MONEY.
BUT IF IT'S A STATEMENT OR A SUGGESTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPERATING PLAN, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: COULD YOU THINK HOW IT WOULD BE ORGANIZED AND WHAT OTHER CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITS THERE MIGHT BE ON FUNDING OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS WAY?

>>VINT CERF: OF COURSE, THE OBVIOUS LIMIT, PETER, WILL BE RUN OUT OF MONEY.
MAY I SUGGEST THAT YOU TAKE THIS OFFLINE AND DISCUSS WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND PERHAPS THE TWO OF YOU CAN COME BACK WITH SOME IDEAS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BRUCE.
A VERY GOOD REPORT.
AND CERTAINLY A GOOD DEAL OF PROGRESS FOR THE GNSO.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE YOUR WORK WITH OTHERS OF THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE AREAS THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING.
LET ME MOVE ON NOW TO THE ALAC REPORT, ASSUMING THAT ANNETTE MUEHLBERG IS AVAILABLE.
IS ANNETTE HERE?
I AM NOT -- OH, THERE SHE IS.
OKAY.
WHILE ANNETTE IS COMING UP, I SHOULD TELL THAT YOU SHE IS THE NEWLY ELECTED CHAIR OF THE ALAC.
AND WE WELCOME HER TO THIS NEW POSITION.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>ANNETTE MUEHLBERG: ALL RIGHT.
JUST GO ON.
SO THIS IS JUST TO TELL WHO WE ARE, THE ALAC.
AND THIS IS ME.
MY NAME IS ANNETTE MUEHLBERG.
AND AS YOU WERE JUST TOLD, I'M THE NEW ELECTED CHAIR OF THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK VITTORIO BERTOLA, WHO WAS THE PREVIOUS CHAIR FOR THREE YEARS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VITTORIO.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>ANNETTE MUEHLBERG: AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A SHORT UPDATE ON THE STATUS, WHAT'S JUST GOING ON NOW.
WE HAVE 50 AT-LARGE STRUCTURES NOW AT PLACE, COVERING ALL ICANN REGIONS.
WE ARE JUST WORKING ON GETTING TWO RALOS STARTED.
AND RIGHT HERE IN WELLINGTON, WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW WEB SITE.
SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.
IT'S WWW.ICANNALAC.ORG.
SO IF I CALL YOU AT NIGHT, YOU SHOULD REMEMBER WWW.ICANNALAC.ORG.
IN WELLINGTON, WE HELD TWO REALLY WELL-ATTENDED INTERNET USERS' FORUMS, ONE ON GTLDS, ONE ON IDNS.
AND I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT WAS REALLY NICE THAT IT WAS A CROSS-CONSTITUENCY MEETING.
AND I WANT TO THANK ESPECIALLY THE ICANNWIKI FOLKS, WHO HELPED A LOT.
AND YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GTLD FORUM ON THE ICANNWIKI.
WE PLAN TO REALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE PDPS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE ICANN BOARD.
NO BLOOD WAS SHED.
WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE ICANN BOARD'S STATED COMMITMENT TO INTERNET USERS' ISSUES.
AND WE WERE ESPECIALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE NOT VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE WE GOT TO ALAC'S INPUT, WHICH WERE ACTUALLY ZERO.
AND BASED ON THIS MEETING NOW, WE HOPE THAT PREDICTABLE PROCESSES AND SCHEDULES WILL IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
IT WAS REALLY A VERY, VERY GOOD MEETING.
SO THE BOARD EXPRESSED STRONG DESIRE TO HEAR FROM INDIVIDUAL INTERNET USERS AND SUPPORTED NEW INFORMATION-GATHERING INITIATIVES, LIKE POLLS, LIKE SURVEYS.
SO THAT WAS A VERY NICE AND INTERESTING INPUT BY THE BOARD.
THANK YOU.
AND I THINK THIS INTEREST TO HEAR THE INTERNET USERS' OPINION IS VERY MUCH NEEDED, BECAUSE WE ARE A LITTLE BIT AFRAID THAT THE ICANN BOARD IS LOSING TOUCH WITH THE INTERNET USERS.
WE ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE DOT COM AGREEMENT AND THE SETTLEMENT WITH VERISIGN.
ALAC ALREADY PUBLISHED A STATEMENT ON THAT ISSUE.
SO YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK AT THAT ON OUR WEB SITE.
AND WE JUST WANT THE ICANN BOARD TO RETURN ON ITS CORE VALUES, THAT IS, PROMOTING COMPETITION IN THE REGISTRATION OF DOMAIN NAMES.
AND THIS IS ALL.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHORT OVERVIEW, AND I JUST WANT TO REMEMBER YOU, CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE.
IT'S WWW.ICANNALAC.ORG.
THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANNETTE.
JUST SPEAKING PERSONALLY, I REALLY ENJOYED THE INTERACTION WITH THE ALAC GROUP AS THE BOARD MET WITH THEM.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING IDEAS THAT WERE PUT ON THE TABLE.
THE NEXT REPORT COMES FROM CHRIS DISSPAIN, WHO IS THE CCNSO CHAIR.
AND IF CHRIS IS AVAILABLE -- I SEE HIM COMING DOWN NOW -- WE'LL GET AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THERE.

>>CHRIS DISSPAIN: THANK YOU, VINT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
MY NAME'S CHRIS DISSPAIN, AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE CCNSO.
WE HAVE OUR USUAL WRITTEN REPORT, WHICH WILL BE SENT SHORTLY, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO READ ON THE WEB SITE AT YOUR LEISURE.
BUT FOR NOW, I THOUGHT I'D JUST GIVE YOU A FEW HIGHLIGHTS.
ON THE CC POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE APPRECIATE AND THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR DEALING WITH THE -- MOST OF THE ISSUES THAT WE PUT FORWARDS, AND THE BYLAW CHANGES HAVE NOW, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BEEN MADE.
THERE IS ONE OUTSTANDING MATTER ON WHICH YOU HAVE NOT YET DECIDED.
AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT WITH STAFF OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO, SO THAT, HOPEFULLY, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT YOUR BOARD MEETING ON FRIDAY.
WITH RESPECT TO IDNS, I ECHO WHAT BRUCE HAS SAID AND CONFIRM THAT THE CCNSO COUNCIL RESOLVED YESTERDAY TO SET UP A JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH THE GNSO.
AND WE HAVE APPOINTED THREE MEMBERS TO THAT WORKING GROUP.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK DONE SO FAR ON THE -- ON IANA, TWO WAYS, ONE, ACKNOWLEDGE THE IANA JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN THE CCNSO AND IANA, WHICH I THINK IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT ALSO IANA STAFF GENERALLY, WHO HAVE DONE EXCELLENT WORK OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
WE SPENT SOME TIME AT THIS MEETING DISCUSSING THE BUDGET, OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE CCTLD CONTRIBUTION TO ICANN.
THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE FOR THE CCTLD COMMUNITY.
THE PROBLEM WITH US IS THAT ONE SIZE FITS NO ONE.
AND SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME METHODS THAT ENABLE US TO PRODUCE A SET OF GUIDELINES ON MAKING THE CCTLD CONTRIBUTION.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO COME UP WITH A SUGGESTED AMOUNT IN CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOTAL BUDGET.
WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.
IT IS SLOW.
WE WILL DO THE BEST WE CAN TO DEAL WITH IT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WE HAD A PRESENTATION DURING OUR MEETING FROM MARKUS KUMMER IN RESPECT TO THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM.
AND THE CCNSO COUNCIL DECIDED YESTERDAY THAT WE WILL NOMINATE AT LEAST ONE AND MAYBE MORE PEOPLE TO WHAT IS CALLED THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BUT IS IN EFFECT A PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM WHICH TAKES PLACE IN ATHENS AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
FINALLY, THIS MORNING, THERE WAS, AS PART OF THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP, A HYPOTHETICAL ON A CHANGE OF CCTLD MANAGER.
AT THE OPENING OF THE MAJOR SESSION IN THE MORNING, VINT MADE THE POINT THAT TALKING TO EACH OTHER IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I AGREE.
AND I THINK THAT THE HYPOTHETICAL WAS ABOUT FACILITATING A PROCESS TO ENABLE US TO DO THAT IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT ON WHAT IS BASICALLY A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE.
I THINK WHAT WE ACHIEVED -- I THINK WE ACHIEVED THAT TODAY.
AND AS I SAID AT THE END OF THE SESSION, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION.
IT'S NOT EVEN THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE DISCUSSION.
BUT IT IS THE END OF THE BEGINNING OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN USE -- SPRINGBOARD OFF WHAT WE DID TODAY AND START DOING SOME SERIOUS WORK ON DEALING WITH THESE COMPLEX ISSUES.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHRIS.
I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE TO SEE SO MUCH RAPID PROGRESS IN THE CCNSO CONTEXT.
I KNOW THAT YOU FEEL IT'S SLOW WITH REGARD TO BUDGETS, THAT'S ALWAYS TRICKY.
MONEY IS A PROBLEM.
BUT ON THE WHOLE, SEEING PARTICIPATION AT THE LEVEL THAT IT'S IN NOW IS VERY, VERY ENCOURAGING.
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING US NEARLY BACK ON SCHEDULE.
NOMINALLY, I WOULD OPEN THE FLOOR AT THIS POINT FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY OF THE PREVIOUS REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
LET ME ASK, ARE THERE PARTIES IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SO FAR?
I SEE RICHARD HILL IS APPROACHING THE MICROPHONE.
RICHARD.

>>RICHARD HILL: YEAH, THANK YOU.
IS THE MIKE ON NOW?
IS THE MICROPHONE ON NOW?
YES, IT IS.
THANK YOU, VINT.
I JUST HAD A COMMENT ON THE REPORT FROM BRUCE ABOUT THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION NAMES AND ACRONYMS.
AND I JUST HAD A CHAT WITH BRUCE, SO I THINK WE'VE SORTED SOME THINGS OUT.
I WAS SURPRISED BY THE REQUEST FOR WHAT IS THE LEGAL BASIS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE IGO NAMES AND ACRONYMS, BECAUSE, IN FACT, THAT'S AN ARTICLE IN A CONVENTION CALLED THE PARIS CONVENTION, WHICH WAS REFERENCED EXPLICITLY IN THE ORIGINAL WIPO REPORT THAT WAS TRANSMITTED TO ICANN IN MARCH OF 2003, SO ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
AND THEN THAT SAME PROVISION WAS CITED EXTENSIVELY IN THE REPORT OF THE AD HOC GROUP BETWEEN THE GAC AND OTHER MEMBERS, OTHER CONSTITUENCIES, WHICH FAILED TO REACH AGREEMENT, BUT DID CITE THAT AS A BASIS.
AND, IN FACT, IT'S ALSO CITED IN THE LETTER FROM PAUL TWOMEY TO BOTH WIPO AND THE GAC, WHERE HE CITES, IN FACT, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONSTITUENCY ITSELF, WHICH CITES THAT SAME PROVISION.
SO I THINK THAT'S FAIRLY SETTLED TO WHAT THE PROVISION IS THAT PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR THE PROTECTION OF IGO NAMES AND ACRONYMS.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, RICHARD.
I THINK PROBABLY ONE WAY TO SEE THIS, IF THERE IS ANY CONFUSION AT ALL, IS -- AND I SEE BRUCE IS READY TO RESPOND -- IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE FULL SCOPE OF ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH NAMES THAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED, THERE ISN'T CASE LAW OR INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR THE FULL RANGE OF POSSIBLE NAMES OF CONCERN, BUT FOR SOME OF THEM -- AND THE IGO CASE THAT RICHARD RAISES, THAT MAY BE ONE EXAMPLE THERE IS A LEGAL BASIS.
BRUCE, WHY DON'T YOU RESPOND, IF YOU LIKE.

>>BRUCE TONKIN: YEAH, I JUST WANT TO RESPOND, I GUESS, JUST THE NATURE OF OUR REQUESTS.
I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE GNSO AND THE GNSO COUNCIL SPECIFICALLY ISN'T COMPRISED ENTIRELY OF LAWYERS.
AND SO WHILE RICHARD MIGHT BE ABLE TO REFER TO THINGS LIKE ARTICLE -- SUCH AND SUCH ARTICLE, I THINK WHAT WE WERE REALLY ASKING FOR, IF YOU LIKE, IS A TUTORIAL OR BRIEFING THAT EXPLAINS IT IN WORDS THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL CAN UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T THINK WE ARE DISPUTING THE ADVICE OR WHATEVER FROM WIPO WITH THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONSTITUENCY THAT REFERENCES A PARTICULAR LAW.
BUT WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S IN LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, BRUCE.
THAT'S A VERY CLEAR REQUEST.
MIKE PALAGE.

>>MICHAEL PALAGE: 6TER.

>>VINT CERF: I BEG YOUR PARDON?

>>MICHAEL PALAGE: 6TER IS THE PROVISION DEALING --

>>VINT CERF: THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF LEGAL SPEAK.
"6TER" DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME UNTIL YOU GIVE FURTHER DEFINITION.
BUT PLEASE DON'T DO IT NOW.
LET'S TAKE ANOTHER QUESTION FROM THE FLOOR.

>> BRANDON SANDERS.
THIS IS ADDRESSED TO PAUL TWOMEY.
I APPRECIATED HIS RECOGNITION THAT ONE OF ICANN'S PRIMARY JOBS IS TO COMMUNICATE AND PROVIDE FACILITATION FOR COMMUNICATION AMONG THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES.
AND I ALSO APPRECIATED VERY MUCH HIS REQUEST FOR ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BETTER WAYS OF COMMUNICATING AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS: THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF COMMUNICATION RIGHT NOW.
WHO'S THE RIGHT PERSON OR PEOPLE TO TALK TO AT ICANN TO BRING THOSE OFFERINGS ONTO YOUR RADAR SCREEN?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE ANSWER IS E-MAIL RESTRICTED TO MYSELF.
WE WILL HAVE SOME -- HOPEFULLY, SOME FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS SHORTLY WHICH WILL NOT HAVE ME BEING PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT MY OFFICE WILL DO THE COORDINATION TO START WITH.
SO....

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PAUL.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER.
DON'T FORGET TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

>> LIN NAH: MY NAME IS LIN NAH.
I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT'S A VALID QUESTION, BUT IN PAUL TWOMEY'S REPORT, HE MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE REGIONAL LIAISONS.
WHAT I'M A BIT WORRIED ABOUT IS THAT THERE IS NO ASIA-PACIFIC LIAISON IN THE LIST.
AND THERE IS ONE FOR EVERY OTHER PART IN THE WORLD.
AND HAVING THE MEETING HERE, SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO BRING UP THE TOPIC, PERHAPS.

>>VINT CERF: PAUL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR TO YOU RESPOND TO.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: COMING FROM THE REGION, I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
THE LIAISONS APPOINTED TO DATE ARE APPOINTED UNDER THE PRESENT 2005/2006 BUDGET.
THERE IS PROVISION BEING MADE PROPOSED FOR COMING UP THE UPCOMING BUDGET FOR THERE TO BE THREE MORE LIAISONS TO BE APPOINTED IN THIS REGION.
AND I WANT TO PUT ON NOTE THAT -- CERTAINLY PUT ON NOTE ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRMAN THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A COMMUNICATION FROM THE APTLD PUTTING ON ITS RECORD, ITS WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE ABOUT ASSISTING IN THAT WAY.
AND WE ARE -- AND THAT'S ONE OF -- I THINK OTHER -- OTHER NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE WE RECEIVED.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MOMENT ON POTENTIALLY A REGIONAL LIAISON FOR THE PACIFIC -- IT'S EITHER SOUTH PACIFIC OR IT'S SOUTH PACIFIC/INDIAN OCEAN, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF COMMANLITIES IN ISLAND CCTLDS.
A REGIONAL LIAISON FOR ASIA AND FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA.
MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT EVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF ICANN, I HAVE BEEN SOMEONE WHO HAS QUESTIONED THAT ASIA-PACIFIC IS ONE REGION, WE TREAT IT THAT WAY, BUT IT'S SIMPLY HUGE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE REGIONAL -- THE PROPOSED REGIONAL LIAISON STRUCTURE IS TRYING TO REFLECT MORE SOME SENSE OF COMMONALITY.
BUT THIS IS UP FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET, AND WE'RE UP FOR FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT'S WHAT'S PRESENTLY SORT OF ON THE AGENDA.

>>VINT CERF: JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION BEFORE I RECOGNIZE CHRIS FROM THE FLOOR.
THE BUDGET CYCLE IS JULY TO JUNE.
AND SO JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR STARTS JULY 1ST.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 2007 TO TAKE ACTION ON THESE ADDITIONAL REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR LIAISONS.
CHRIS DISSPAIN.

>>CHRIS DISSPAIN: THANK YOU.
A COUPLE OF POINTS ON THAT ISSUE, SINCE IT'S COME UP.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S SLIGHTLY COMPLICATED USE OF THE WORD "REGION," BECAUSE WE USE IT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, REGIONS FOR THE FIVE REGIONS, REGIONAL LIAISON, ET CETERA.
AND, IN FACT, NONE OF THEM, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF EUROPE, ARE ACTUALLY REGIONAL IN THE SENSE OF THE FIVE REGIONS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, I THINK.
NO, IT'S NOT, BECAUSE THE CARIBBEAN IS EXCISED OUT TO CANADA AND THE CARIBBEAN.
BUT ON THAT POINT, AS I SAY, BECAUSE IT'S COME UP, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WE, THE CCNSO COUNCIL WILL SOON CONSIDER WHETHER WE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE STARTING TO DO SOME WORK ON HAVING A LOOK AT THESE REGIONS.
THE ASIA-PACIFIC ONE, AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT, PAUL, IS PROBLEMATIC IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS HUGE. AND SO CULTURALLY DIVERSE AS TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE ON A -- FROM A SINGLE POINT.
SO YOU CAN EXPECT THAT THERE WILL POSSIBLY BE SOME INPUT FROM US IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, CHRIS.

>>ALICK WILSON: ALICK WILSON, MEMBER OF THE ICANN COMMUNITY AND PAST GNSO COUNCILLOR APPOINTED BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
THIS QUESTION AND COMMENT IS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT AND CEO AND TO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
IT'S ABOUT THE MATTER OF COMMUNICATIONS TO THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ICANN COMMUNITY.
YESTERDAY, WE HAD A SESSION WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE OPERATIONAL PLAN.
AND I SPOKE ABOUT THE APPARENT FRAGMENTATION OF COMMUNICATION TO A VARIETY OF DIVERSE TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS.
I WANT TO REINFORCE TO THE PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, AND TO THE BOARD AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY ABOUT TECHNOLOGY.
COMMUNICATION IS BIGGER THAN THAT.
IT'S A STRATEGIC COMPONENT OF ICANN'S MISSION TO COMMUNICATE WITH ITS STAKEHOLDERS.
AND IT SHOULD BE SEEN IN THAT WAY.
TECHNOLOGY IS A SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM.
AND THE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A FRAGMENTED ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION.
IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS A WHOLE.

>>VINT CERF: I THINK THE CEO IS SEEKING TO RESPOND TO THAT BY HAVING STAFF FOCUSED ON EXACTLY THE BROAD RANGE OF COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS THAT THIS ORGANIZATION HAS.
RAUL.

>>RAUL ECHEBERRIA: HI.
THIS IS RAUL ECHEBERRIA FROM LACNIC.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SATISFACTION REGARDING THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF REGIONAL LIAISONS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE CLAIMED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST TO BE DONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS TIME I CAN SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
MAYBE THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAY THAT.
BUT NOT EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.
THERE'S -- I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE SEEN AS THE FIRST STEP IN THIS -- REGIONALIZATION OF ACTIVITIES.
BECAUSE WHAT WE NEED IS NOT ONLY THE REGIONAL LIAISONS, BUT REGIONAL ACTIVITIES AND REGIONAL TEAMS WORKING.
I THINK IF THIS IS THE LONG-TERM PLAN TO HAVE ONE PERSON PER REGION ACTING AS A POINT OF CONTACT, THIS IS -- SURELY IT WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL.
I CONGRATULATE YOU BECAUSE THIS STEP, IT IS TAKEN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW.
BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DON'T STOP IN THIS POINT, AND CONTINUE REGIONALIZATION -- REGIONALIZING THE FUNCTION OF ICANN AND ITS ACTIVITIES.
BESIDES THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I DON'T SHARE THE IDEA TO HAVE A LIAISON FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT THE CARIBBEAN REGION IS -- CAN BE SEEN AS A SEPARATE REGION IN ITSELF.
BUT, MOSTLY, IT IS SEEN AS TOGETHER WITH LATIN AMERICA IN MOST OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE REVISED IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY IF INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE PERSON FOR THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN REGIONS, WE COULD HAVE MORE THAN ONE, THEN THOSE ACTIVITIES COULD BE WELL ADDRESSED IN THE RIGHT WAY.
BUT I THINK THAT THE CURRENT REGIONALIZATION TAKEN FOR THIS ACTIVITY OF LIAISON IS NOT THE BEST ONE.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU ALL.
I SEE ALEX HAS HIS HAND UP.
GO AHEAD.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: THANK YOU, VINT.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THIS FROM RAUL, THE WHOLE STATEMENT, I MEAN, BOTH THE CONGRATULATORY PART, WHICH I THINK IS VERY WELCOME, AND ALSO THE CALL FOR MORE COHERENT WORK WITH REGIONAL AND EXISTING BODIES.
THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A LONG TIME.
RAIMUNDO BECA HAS BEEN A VERY ELOQUENT DEFENDER AND PROMOTER OF THE IDEA OF REGIONAL LIAISONS.
HE HAS BEEN VERY INSISTENT ON PARAGRAPH 38 OF WSIS, THE WSIS PAPERS, DECLARATIONS, WHICH CALLS FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
HE HAS ALSO MADE US AWARE THAT SOME REGIONS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING REGIONAL OFFICES.
AND THESE SHOULD BE DONE ALSO VERY CAREFULLY.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE ADOPTING THIS VERY PRUDENT, STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH.
THERE WAS A VERY INSISTENT CALL FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY DURING THE PROCESS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN NOT TO DO THIS TYPE OF INVESTMENT AND OUTREACH, OR TO DO IT IN A VERY STEP-BY-STEP WAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
FOR THE OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO DELINEATE WITH THE REGIONAL LIAISONS, THERE WILL BE MORE COMPARATIVE AND COHERENT WORK WITH THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THERE ARE TWO POINTS HERE THAT HAVE TO BE PAID ATTENTION TO.
ONE OF THEM IS THAT ICANN ITSELF HAS TO BALANCE THE WAY IT OPERATES CENTRALLY OR GLOBALLY WITH THE WAY IT OPERATES REGIONALLY OR LOCALLY SO THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOME ORGANIZATIONAL COHERENCE TOGETHER WITH THE CREATIVITY THAT IS IN THE REGIONS.
AND A THOUGHT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED TODAY EARLIER IN THE IGF FORUM, IN THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM, IS THAT ONE ALSO HAS TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THINGS COMING UP LIKE IDNS AND THE IGF LOOKING AT ALL TYPES OF POLICIES.
SOME OF THE REGIONALIZATION EFFORTS HAVE THE DANGER OF -- LONG-TERM STRATEGIC DANGER OF FRAGMENTING THE INTERNET IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE OF THEM I SEE IN IDNS, IN WHICH YOU COULD CREATE A COMFORT ZONE WITHIN A REGION THAT USES, FOR EXAMPLE, CHINESE SCRIPTS, OR ONE OF THE CHINESE SCRIPTS, AND PEOPLE WITHIN THAT REGION COULD FEEL VERY WELL, BUT WOULD HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE MAYBE JUST NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR E-MAIL WHEN TRAVELING AWAY OR IT WOULD NOT BE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE.
AND AS YOU KNOW VERY WELL, RAUL, I MEAN, THE IP ADDRESSES ARE A RESOURCE THAT HAS A CAREFUL BALANCE BETWEEN THE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL MANAGEMENT.
AND WE SHOULD INVEST A HUGE EFFORT IN DOING THIS REGIONALIZATION WELL IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS RISK OF FRAGMENTATION.
AND, FINALLY, MENTION THAT THE OUTREACH EFFORTS WERE ALSO DISCUSSED MUCH YESTERDAY IN THE STRATEGIC OPERATIONAL PLAN MEETING.
AND WE WERE VERY RECEPTIVE TO THE -- PERSONALLY, I AM VERY RECEPTIVE TO SOME OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WERE MADE.
IT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR ME THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY OPPOSED THE EXPANSION OF EFFORTS IN OUTREACH OR REGIONALIZATION, ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICES, AND SO FORTH, ARE NOW SUPPORTIVE OF THE EXPENSE.
AND, IN FACT, IT'S QUITE STRIKING THAT THEY ARE OFFERING THEMSELVES AS RECIPIENTS OF THIS EXPENSE IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE OUTREACH EFFORT.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALEX.
RAUL.

>>RAUL ECHEBERRIA: A SHORT COMMENT. I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE USUALLY AGAINST THE REGIONALIZATION OF ICANN BECAUSE THE IMPLICATION THAT IT HAS IN THE BUDGET, IS THE PEOPLE WHO FEEL COMFORTABLE THEMSELVES WITH THE CURRENT MODEL AND WITH THE CENTRALIZING MODEL.
THE REGIONALIZATION WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH ICANN MATTERS, MORE PEOPLE INFORMED, AND THESE PEOPLE CANNOT EXPRESS TODAY THEIR OPINION BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PARTICIPATING.
I THINK INDEPENDENTLY OF THE FACT THAT IF SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S NOT WORTH TO INVEST IN THESE KIND OF THINGS, WE HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT IS AN OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT CANNOT PARTICIPATE TODAY.
AND MY FINAL COMMENTS, I FORGET TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE, WE HAVE ANOTHER REASON TO CONGRATULATE YOU BECAUSE I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED FOR AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA IS VERY ABLE TO DO THIS JOB. AND I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC WITH THOSE APPOINTMENTS.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAUL.
LET'S SEE. LET ME GET RAIMUNDO. LET'S SEE, I AM TRYING TO BALANCE THE FLOOR AND THE BOARD HERE. SO LET'S DO RAIMUNDO, MARILYN, AND THEN MOUHAMET.
RAIMUNDO.

>>RAIMUNDO BECA: THANK YOU, VINT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND WHAT RAUL ECHEBERRIA IS SAYING. IT IS NOT ONLY THE FACT OF NAMING THE PEOPLE; ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TWO VERY GOOD (INAUDIBLE). AND PARTICULARY IN OUR REGION, PABLO HINOJOSA, IS VERY WELL-KNOWN. AND HE WAS LAST WEEK IN SANTIAGO DOING FOR HIS FIRST TRIP A VERY GOOD JOB.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECALL THAT I WAS SAYING IN PREVIOUS FORUMS THAT I DON'T LIKE THE TERM OUTREACH. THE TERM OUTREACH HAS NOT GOOD TRANSLATION NOT TO SPANISH, NOT TO FRENCH. IT IS ALWAYS THE LONG ARM FROM THE CENTRALIST GOING TO ENTRAP.
FORTUNATELY, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE NAME OUTREACH HAS BEEN DELETED, ALMOST.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO SPEAK OF OUTREACH IN MANY OF THE MEETINGS AND I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A CALL, A PLEA TO INSIST LET'S SPEAK MORE OF REGIONALIZATION AND LESS OF OUTREACH.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, RAIMUNDO.
MARILYN AND THEN I'LL CALL ON MOUHAMET.

>>MARILYN CADE: THANK YOU, MY NAME IS MARILYN CADE AND I AM SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY MEMBERMENT BUT I'M SPEAKING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT A COUPLE OF ELEMENTS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE OPERATIONAL PLAN.
AND I WANTED TO MAYBE PREFACE THOSE IN RESPONSE TO SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.
I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK THAT, EVER, THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO BROADENING AND DEEPENING PARTICIPATION ACROSS THE WORLD IN ICANN. I THINK THERE WAS EXPRESSED DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS ABOUT HOW BEST TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS CERTAINLY HOW I SAW THE DIFFERENCE EXPRESSED BY THOSE WHO DIDN'T THINK STARTING WITH REGIONAL OFFICES WAS THE RIGHT APPROACH VERSUS PROVIDING SUPPORT TO SOME OTHER MECHANISMS TO BROADEN AND DEEPEN.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO -- THAT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN MY THOUGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE IN THE BUDGET SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS. AND I WANT TO MENTION THEM. I'M SORRY, I SHOULD SAY THE DRAFT OPERATIONAL PLAN. I WANT TO MENTION TWO OF THEM.
ONE OF THEM IS THE CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TO BUILDING THE RALOS.
I THINK THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND CONTINUED RESPONSIBILITY. AND YOU HEARD ME AT THE MIKE ON THIS ISSUE AT ANY NUMBER OF MEETINGS.
IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO BUILD LOCALLY AND REASONABLELY, AND I AM PLEASED TO SEE THE BOARD CONTINUING THEIR COMMITMENT IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO THAT IS ONE POINT.
THE SECOND POINT IS THAT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THERE BE STRONG SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION FROM THOSE REGIONAL LIAISONS YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DIRECTLY IN THEIR WORK, HELPING TO ALSO FEED WHATEVER IS GOING ON LOCALLY.
THE FINAL POINT THAT I'LL MAKE AT THIS TIME AT THE MIKE, BUT I KNOW YOU WILL WELCOME ME BACK AGAIN, IS A REFERENCE TO ANOTHER ITEM THAT IS IN THE OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT I LEND MY PERSONAL SUPPORT TO, FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH, AND THAT IS THE CONTINUATION OF ICANN'S PROVISION OF A LIMITED BUT I THINK IMPORTANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SUPPORT THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE SECRETARIAT. I THINK THE DEMONSTRATION THAT ICANN IS PROVIDING ALONG WITH OTHERS TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE THAT IT WELCOMED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM AND ALONG WITH OTHERS INTENDS TO BE A PART THROUGH ITS COMMUNITY AND THROUGH CONTRIBUTING TO THE SECRETARIAT IS A VERY POSITIVE MESSAGE. THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.
MOUHAMET, I THINK I HAD YOU NEXT IN THE QUEUE.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU, VINT.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO ALSO THE COMMENT MADE BY RAIMUNDO AND RAUL REGARDING THE REGIONAL PRESENCE. BUT I THINK THAT I NEED, PAUL, THAT YOU COME BACK AND TRY TO EXPLAIN US BETWEEN THE TIME WHERE WE DISCUSS AND DECIDE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME -- IT HAVE BEEN A HUGE -- I MEAN WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF ENERGY DISCUSSING IF THERE IS ANY NEED TO GET REGIONAL PRESENCE OR JUST LIAISON, OR ANY OTHER MECHANISM.
AND DOWN THE ROAD WHAT HAPPENED IS JUST LIKE, I DID NOT SEE -- I MEAN, A STRONG COMMUNICATION OR CONSULTATION HAVE BEEN MADE IN ORDER TO KNOW, REALLY, ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. BECAUSE THE REGION DID NOT HAVE THE SAME REALITY.
IF FOR EACH REGION THE LIAISON IS ENOUGH OR SUFFICIENT FOR WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
AND I THINK IT'S -- SPECIFICALLY I'M GOING TO TAKE JUST AN EXAMPLE THAT IS CLOSER TO ME, THAT IS THE AFRICAN REGION.
I WANT TO RECALL THAT WE, AS ICANN, HAVE STATED THAT WE ARE GOING TO SET UP AN AFRICAN PRESENCE, AND EVEN A CONSULTATION HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SEE WHERE IS GOING TO BE THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I JUST WANT TO RECALL THAT IN CAPE TOWN, THERE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATION ON THAT AND SO ON AND SO ON.
SO I THINK THAT IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT, AS AN ORGANIZATION, TO HAVE CONSISTENCY IN THE DECISION AND THE PROCESS WE ARE MAKING. IF SOMETHING HAVE TO CHANGE, I THINK THAT IT WILL BE MORE CREDIBLE FOR ICANN TO GO THROUGH A CONSULTATION PROCESS REGARDING PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING, AND TRY TO SEE -- AND TO BE MORE CONSISTENT. AND JUST BECAUSE IF A CHANGE HAS TO BE MADE, WE HAVE TO FIND THE REASON WHY SUCH CHANGE HAS TO BE MADE.
SO THAT'S WHY I ECHO THE FACT THAT HAVING REGIONAL LIAISON IS A GOOD THING, BUT I CAN IMAGINE AND I CAN CERTIFY THAT IN A REGION LIKE THE ONE I AM COMING FROM, IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT AT ALL. THERE IS A NEED THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR.
AND ESPECIALLY ALSO BASED ON THE FACT THAT LANGUAGES BECOME A VERY STRONG BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION AND TO LOCAL COMMUNICATION.
AND, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROMOTING COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION FOR PEOPLE JUST FOR THIS PUBLIC MEETING, IF SOMEBODY FROM SENEGAL TRIED TO PARTICIPATE, EVEN IF HE WAS ALLOWED TO CALL ON A TELEPHONE LINE AND PARTICIPATE, HE WOULD SPEAK FRENCH. I MEAN, HOW CAN THIS PERSON PARTICIPATE AND BE REALLY ACTIVE AND HAVE OTHER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING?
SO I THINK WE HAVE PUT ON THE TABLE MANY ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY THE REGIONAL PRESENCE IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY MECHANISMS WE CAN PUT IN PLACE, CREATE LOCAL ACTIVITIES, MAKE PEOPLE -- I MEAN, GET SOME REGIONAL INSIGHT INTO ICANN AND GIVE THEM FLOW BASED ON THE LANGUAGE AND GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TOOLS TO COVER ALL THESE AREAS, THAT IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVE WE HAVE TO HAVE A BROADER PARTICIPATION.
AND TO COME BACK ON THE ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION, I THINK THAT WE NEED REALLY TO IMPROVE THE WAY THAT WE WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE, EVEN FAR AWAY, EVEN IF THEY ARE SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGES, HOW THEY CAN GET INTO THE WEBCAST OR HOW THEY CAN GET INTO THE PUBLIC MEETING BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY TO JOIN, PHYSICALLY, OUR MEETINGS AND EXPRESS WHAT THEY WANT IN ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES. BUT UP TO NOW WE DID NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO GET IN TO PARTICIPATE.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, MOUHAMET. PAUL, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANKS, MOUHAMET.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SET OF QUESTIONS. I'M VERY GLAD YOU ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS IN SUCH A PUBLIC PLACE, WHERE WE HAVE VIDEO STREAMING AND WHERE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE IN THIS PUBLIC MEETING.
I THINK THE OPERATIONAL -- WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A LEARNING PROCESS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN. AND WE ARE NOW GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF LEARNING ABOUT AN OPERATIONAL PLAN. AND WHAT YOU ARE POINTING OUT AS WE LOOK AT THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING ASPECTS OF IT IS THAT WE PUT FORWARD PROJECTS, EVALUATE PROJECTS, BUT WE THAT NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THINGS THAT ARE HELPING US MEET OUR MISSION WHERE, POTENTIALLY AT THE MOMENT, THE VOICES FOR A PARTICULAR PRIORITY MIGHT BE FEWER BECAUSE OF THE REASONS THAT YOU ALREADY POINTED OUT THAN OTHER VOICES.
AND I THINK MY FIRST EXHORTATION IS TO PLEASE PUSH AND ENSURE THE THINGS YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AND THE POINTS YOU ARE RAISING ARE PART OF THAT DIALOGUE AROUND THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS. IT IS AT THE MOMENT JUST A DRAFT SET OF OBJECTIVES AND I THINK BEING ABLE TO PUT OTHER OBJECTIVES IN AND IF NEEDS BE HAVE PEOPLE LOOK AT OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIZE THEM IS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
AND I THINK THIS IS A SOMEWHAT INEVITABLE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS AROUND THIS ISSUE OF REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT.
I WANT TO REINFORCE SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT ALEJANDRO WAS SAYING IS THAT WE SHOULD ALSO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THE CORE FUNCTIONS WE DO ARE GLOBAL FUNCTIONS.
THEY ARE GLOBAL FUNCTIONS AT A COORDINATION POINT FOR A NETWORK THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND BOUNDARIES. SO IF I TAKE, FOR INSTANCE, THE IANA FUNCTIONS AND SUCH, THEY ARE SORT OF GLOBAL FUNCTIONS.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THAT AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REGIONALIZATION, THAT SOME OF THESE CORE FUNCTIONS ARE ACTUALLY CORE AND GLOBAL AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT I THINK THE SORT OF THING THAT YOU ARE RAISING IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD NEED TO ENGAGE NOW INTO THE OPERATIONAL PLAN PROCESS. AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE NOW TO SAY, LOOK, THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT. AND THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS I THINK IS SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, PEOPLE MIGHT SAY WE REALLY WANT TO PUSH A PARTICULAR THING FOR AFRICA NOW BUT THERE MAY NOT BE THE SAME SORT OF DEMAND FOR SOMETHING IN -- OF THAT SORT OF PRESENCE SOMEWHERE ELSE THIS YEAR; PERHAPS IT'S SOMETHING NEXT YEAR.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THE MECHANISM IS THERE. WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THAT VOICE IS HEARD.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY. THANK YOU, PAUL.
WE HAVE PEOPLE NOW QUEUED UP, SO LET ME ASK THE FLOOR TO BEGIN.
GO AHEAD.

>>JOTHAN FRAKES: HELLO, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS JOTHAN FRAKES. I WORK FOR A REGISTRAR NAMED NAME INTELLIGENCE. I'M AN INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER OF DOMAIN NAMES, AND A PRODUCT OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
AND ALSO, I WANTED TO STEP UP AND SAY I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE MACRO ISSUES THAT ARE CONQUERED AS PART OF THIS HUGE PROCESS THAT ICANN IS. BUT I WANTED TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE REALLY TACTICALLY AND EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AS THE PRODUCER OF THE DOMAIN ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE, A PLACE WHERE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONSUMERS OF THIS PRODUCT OR THE PROCESS ALSO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR BOTH FROM VINT CERF AND FROM PAUL TWOMEY. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE COMING OUT AND TALKING TO THE INDIVIDUAL -- I GUESS THE CONSUMERS OF THE NET PROCESS OF THIS.
AS YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE MACRO TYPE OF EVENTS AND WORKING WITH SUCH A DIVERSE REGIONAL AUDIENCE THAT LET'S NOT LOSE SIGHT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS IN SMALL REGIONS, IN SMALL AREAS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR REALLY A LOT OF THE MILESTONES THAT YOU HAVE MET.
SO I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, JONATHAN. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT MEETING. I'M SURE PAUL IS AS WELL.
BRET FAUSETT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: I WANTED TO ADDRESS MY QUESTION TO THE OPERATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN. SPECIFICALLY, SOMETHING THAT THE ALAC HAS RAISED. I KNOW THAT I RAISED IT IN THE OCTOBER CONSULTATION THAT WE HAD IN MARINA DEL REY ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN WHERE I WAS THE ALAC REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THAT IS THE ISSUE OF THE MANAGER OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WENT THROUGH THE REFORM EFFORT THAT WE SPENT ABOUT AN ENTIRE YEAR ON, YOU RECALL THAT ONE OF THE YEARS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BRINGING THE PUBLIC INTEREST INTO ICANN WAS THE CREATION OF A MANAGER OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
IN FACT, THAT POSITION WAS DEEMED TO BE SO IMPORTANT WE WROTE IT INTO THE BYLAWS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BYLAWS, IT SAYS "THERE SHALL BE A MANAGER OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION."
WE STILL DON'T HAVE ONE.
IN FACT, IT'S NOT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IT'S NOT ADVERTISED ON THE BYLAWS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, AT THIS MEETING, AT VARIOUS TIMES, ABOUT HOW INEFFECTIVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORUMS ARE ON THE WEB SITE, AND I GUESS I HAVE LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR THAT VIEW WHEN WE HAVEN'T HIRED THE PERSON WHO IS NECESSARY TO TAKE THAT INPUT AND BRING IT TO ALL OF YOU.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO GO BACK TO THE BYLAWS. IT SAYS THERE SHALL BE A MANAGER OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. LET'S EITHER WRITE THAT OUT OF THE BYLAWS OR HIRE THAT PERSON. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THE LATTER.

>>VINT CERF: SO BEFORE -- I'M SURE PAUL HAS A RESPONSE, BUT LET ME SUGGEST THAT WE NOT CONFUSE A PARTICULAR TITLE, WHICH I GRANT YOU IS IN THE BYLAWS, AND THE FUNCTION. IT MAY VERY WELL BE THAT THE STRUCTURE THAT PAUL DESCRIBED EARLIER ENCOMPASSES THAT FUNCTION, BUT I'LL LET PAUL RESPOND TO THAT SPECIFICALLY.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I AM IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH BRET. AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE PRESENTATION AT THE BEGINNING OF MY PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THAT POSITION IS A KEY ONE WE HAVE TO RECRUIT FOR THE PURPOSE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE IN THAT POSITION TITLE, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD TO MANAGE AGAINST CASH, SO THEY END UP DOING MEDIA AND THAT, AND THE MEDIA PULLS THEM OUT SO THEY END UP NOT DOING THE VERY THING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS I THINK SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
THOSE PEOPLE END UP BEING -- WHERE WE'VE HAD THEM DOING THAT AND COMMUNICATIONS, THEY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ABSORBED BY THE MEDIA PAR. SO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE IS TO SEPARATE MEDIA OUT OF THAT FUNCTION, AND THE RECRUITMENT WE ARE STARTING NOW LOOKING FOR THAT POSITION IS VERY MUCH THE SORT OF THING YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
SO BACK TO THE INTENT, I THINK.
I THINK THERE IS ALWAYS THE INTENT. SO FOR INSTANCE, KIERNAN HAD THAT TITLE AND THAT WAS THE INTENT WHEN HE CAME IN BUT GOT COMPLETELY ABSORBED INTO THE MEDIA SIDE AND DIDN'T DO THAT FUNCTION. THAT'S NOT A CRITICISM OF KIERNAN. BUT DEFINITELY NOW WE HAVE MORE RESOURCES AND HAVE MORE RESOURCES GOING FORWARD THAT WE ACTUALLY SEPARATE THAT OUT AND VERY CLEARLY GET SOMEONE WHO DOES EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DESCRIBING. I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: WAS THAT MENTIONED BY NAME?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: YES, I DID TALK ABOUT IT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: DID IT HAVE THAT TITLE?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I THINK I MIGHT HAVE USED THE WORD GENERAL MANAGER OF PUBLIC --

>>BRET FAUSETT: I MISSED IT. SO THAT WILL BE THIS YEAR.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, PAUL. I AM GOING TO PUT ONE MORE THING INTO OUR -- WE ARE RUNNING LATE FOR THE BREAK BUT THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE WE STARTED LATE. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE NOMINATING REPORT FROM EUGENIO TRIANA UP ON THE STAGE HERE AND THEN WE WILL TAKE A HALF-HOUR BREAK AFTER THAT.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR DELAYING YOUR BREAK A BIT.
SO IF FRANK FOWLIE IS IN THE AUDIENCE, I WILL SCHEDULE YOU AFTER THE BREAK, FRANK.
EUGENIO IS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER OF ICANN, ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AND HAS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED THE VERY DIFFICULT TASK OF SERVING AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE THIS YEAR.
SO EUGENIO, I TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.

>>EUGENIO TRIANA: THANK YOU, VINT.
RESUPERVISING MY LINKS WITH ICANN AFTER YEARS, I CANNOT AVOID REMEMBERING THE FIRST ICANN PUBLIC FORUM WE HELD IN BOSTON. YOU REMEMBER. IN NOVEMBER 1999, NO?
WHEN THE PERSONS PRESIDING OVER THE SESSION MEANT THE ENTIRE ICANN MEMBERSHIP AT THIS MOMENT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR ME COMING HERE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. AND MANY THANKS TO THE BOARD FOR THIS HONOR.
AS YOU KNOW, THE ICANN NOMINATING COMMITTEE MISSION IS DEFINED IN THE BYLAWS, ARTICLE 7. AND THIS YEAR, 2006, WE MUST SELECT THREE SEATS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TWO FOR THE ALAC, ONE FOR THE GNSO, AND ONE FOR THE COUNTRY CODE NSO.
WE MUST FILL THE CRITERIA IN THE BYLAWS IN THE ARTICLE 6 OF THE BYLAW FOR SELECTION OF THE DIRECTORS AND OTHER POSITIONS. YOU KNOW THE CRITERIAS ARE RELATED TO THE INTEGRITY, TO THE FAMILIARITY WITH THE TECHNICAL FUNCTIONS COORDINATED BY ICANN, ET CETERA.
AND WE ABIDE BY THE RULES OF CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS YEAR WE ARE REINFORCING. THE RULES ARE DEFINED WHAT IS CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL. AND OF COURSE THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MUST PRESERVE THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE COMMITTEE IN RESPECT TO THE BOARD, TO THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION.
ALSO, THIS EXPRESSION OF INDEPENDENCE IS NOT PUT EXPLICITLY IN THE BYLAWS. IT'S A COMMENT I MAKE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. IT IS PUT IN THE INTERNAL RULES OF THE COMMITTEE.
THE ACTIVITIES ON THE COMMITTEE IN THIS EARLIEST STAGE, NOW THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. WE HAVE THE 23 MEMBERS, 17 VOTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, AND MANY THANKS TO THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION AND CONSTITUENCY FOR GIVING US THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS IN DUE TIME TO HAVE THIS FACE-TO-FACE MEETING IN WELLINGTON.
WE HAVE THREE TELECONFERENCES UP TO NOW. JANUARY 16, FEBRUARY 13TH AND MARCH 10TH.
WE HAVE THE FOUR SUBCOMMITTEES OPERATIONAL. ONE ON TECHNICAL AND SECURITY, OTHER ON FAQ, THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND ON OUTREACH.
BECAUSE WE CONSIDER THIS YEAR WAS PARTICULARLY INTENSIVE ON THE ACTIONS FOR THE OUTREACH.
AT THE SAME TIME, SOME KEY DOCUMENTS AND POLICY POSITIONS HAS BEEN ELABORATED AND OTHERS ARE ON THE WAY TO BE ADOPTED HERE IN WELLINGTON TO GET POSTED IN APRIL FOR THE LAUNCHING OF THE CALL FOR CANDIDATES.
THE TENTATIVE PLAN FOR THIS YEAR 2006 IS TO HAVE THIS FRIDAY THE FIRST FACE TO FACE MEETING TO POST THE CALL FOR CANDIDATES PROBABLY APRIL 12TH. SO THAT MEANS THAT IN LINE IN JULY. AND YOU KNOW THE PERIOD FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER IS A VERY INTENSIVE EVALUATION WORK PERIOD. AT THIS MOMENT WE MUST MAKE THE SUBSTANTIVE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE, THE COMPARISONS, SELECTIONS, ET CETERA, TO ARRIVE AT A SET OF NOMINEES AT THE END.
WE PLAN TO HAVE THE SECOND FACE-TO-FACE MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, THE FIRST HALF OF SEPTEMBER. PROBABLY IN EUROPE.
SO THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AS WAS MADE LAST YEAR, IS GOING TO BE HELD IN THE END OF OCTOBER, IN DUE TIME FOR THE -- FOR JOINING THE CONFERENCE OF ICANN IN SAO PAULO AND THE BOARD MEETING IN SAO PAULO.
THE OUTREACH EFFORT IN THE YEAR 2006 IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT. WE TRIED TO DISSEMINATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE CALL FOR CANDIDATES. TO RELY FIRST ON THE ICANN CONSTITUENCIES AND THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THAT IS THE MAIN ASSET FOR THIS OUTREACH EFFORT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO REACH THE ENTIRE INTERNET COMMUNITY. THAT THIS IS MORE THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE COMMUNITY, AS IS PUT IN THE BYLAWS WHEN ASKING THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO HAVE A BROADER SENSE OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE IN THE PERIOD IN THE IP PROTOCOL AND THE INTERNET IS BECOMING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOST OF THE ACTIVITIES OR THE TOTALITY OF THE ACTIVITY RELATED TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AUDIOVISUAL, ET CETERA.
AND FINALLY, TO PUSH THE MAXIMUM QUALIFY RECOMMENDATION AND STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO PERMIT TO US TO COLLECT THE BEST CANDIDATES.
AT THIS POINT, I MUST RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE EVEN TO ME IN THE VERY EARLY STAGE, MY PREDECESSOR, GEORGE SADOWSKY, THE CHAIR OF 2005. MY FRIEND, JEAN-JACQUES DAMLAMIAN.
AND AS A CONCLUSION, THIS VERY WELL KNOWN WORDS OF ROBERT FROST TO THINK ABOUT THE ROAD NOT TAKEN IS TWO WAYS DIVERGED IN THE WOODS AND I TOOK THE ONE LESS TRAVELED AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
AND MY REFLECTION IS PROBABLY THIS YEAR, AS VINT KNOWS VERY WELL, WE MUST TAKE THE LESS TRAVELED BY-WAY TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AND TO SERVE THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EUGENIO. I MUST SAY I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL CHOICE OF WORDS HERE. WE MUST EXPLORE PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE NOT COME TO IN LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IN VARIOUS POSITIONS THAT THE NOMCOM FILLS. WE NEED TO LOOK WELL BEYOND THE USUAL BORDERS OF OUR SEARCH.
SO I ASK EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, THE BOARD AND ELSEWHERE, TO STIMULATE INTEREST IN SERVICE TO THE ICANN COMMUNITY.
THIS WILL HELP EUGENIO, I THINK, BECAUSE HE NEEDS GOOD QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR HIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOUR COMMITTEE AS WELL, EUGENIO, FOR THIS DIFFICULT BUT VERY IMPORTANT WORK.
I DON'T SEE QUESTIONS SO I AM GOING TO TAKE A BREAK NOW.
WE WILL RECONVENE IN APPROXIMATELY -- LET'S SEE, I AM LOSING TRACK OF TIME. 3:45.
SO PLEASE BE BACK AT 3:45 LOCAL TIME.

>>VINT CERF: BOARD MEMBERS, WOULD YOU KINDLY TAKE YOUR SEATS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE ABOUT TO RESTART.
LET ME ASK OUR OMBUDSMAN TO TAKE HIS PLACE.
IT'S FRANK FOWLIE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE LONG-SUFFERING OMBUDSMAN OF ICANN, HERE TO GIVE YOU HIS REPORT.
FRANK.

>>FRANK FOWLIE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
MR. CHAIRMAN, VINT CERF, PRESIDENT PAUL TWOMEY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND LIAISONS, ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE ICANN COMMUNITY, ICANN STAFF, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WELCOME HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
I HAVE A FEW ISSUES THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF MY OFFICE BY RUNNING THROUGH A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF SLIDES.
AND THESE SLIDES WILL REPRESENT THE WORK WHICH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED IN 2006.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES BY COUNTRY LOCATION.
THE LIST ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OF CONTACT IN RELATIVE ORDER OF PREPONDERANCE.
AS WITH PREVIOUS REPORT, ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES WITH COMMON LAW-BASED DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL SYSTEMS PROVIDE ME WITH THE MOST FREQUENT CONTACTS.
AND TO THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, I'VE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 150 CONTACTS AND INQUIRIES.
I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT YOUR RECENT RECRUITMENT OF GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED REGIONAL LIAISONS WILL BE HELPFUL IN PROVIDING LOCAL AREA INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXISTENCE AND FUNCTION OF MY OFFICE.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF CONTACTS BY ISSUE TYPE.
IT'S WORTHWHILE, PERHAPS, TO REMIND YOU THAT AS DEFINED IN BYLAW V, MY JURISDICTION IS RELATED TO AN ACTION, AN INACTION, OR DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD, STAFF, OR SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION.
YOU WILL NOTE THAT AS A POST TO THE INFORMATION I PROVIDED TO YOU IN VANCOUVER, ISSUES WHICH HAVE COME TO MY OFFICE IN RECENT TIMES HAVE BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES THAN IN THE PAST.
I BELIEVE THIS IS IN PART DUE TO THE MORE LEADING PROCESS WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED ON THE ICANN OMBUDSMAN WEB SITE AND WHICH PROVIDES A GREATER AMOUNT OF CLARITY FOR SELF-HELP INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THIS MEANS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN FIND APPROPRIATE RESOURCES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF NONJURISDICTIONAL ISSUES WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE COMPLAINTS TO MY OFFICE.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE CLOSINGS OF FILES IN 2006.
MANY OF THE RECENT CONTACTS WHICH I HAVE HAD, ALTHOUGH JURISDICTIONAL BY DEFINITION, HAVE NOT DEALT WITH TRUE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ISSUES OF FAIRNESS, CONCERNING ACTIONS, DECISIONS, OR INACTIONS BY ICANN, BUT, RATHER, THEY HAVE SIMPLY BEEN CRITICAL COMMENTARY ON ICANN ITSELF.
AND I'VE CORRESPONDED WITH THIS SET OF -- THESE WRITERS AND PROVIDED THEM ALL WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE ICANN COMMUNITY PROCESS TO RAISE THEIR CONCERNS.
THIS SLIDE QUICKLY SHOWS THE OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF MY OFFICE IN 2006.
LAST WEEK, I HAD THE GREAT PLEASURE OF ATTENDING A UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SPONSORED BY THE CAIRO INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CENTER AND THE ARAB LEAGUE, WHICH HOSTED ODR PRACTITIONERS AND ACADEMICS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.
I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE TWO PRESENTATIONS, ONE ENTITLED "CULTURE, IDENTITY AND THE SKILLED PRACTITIONER," AND THE OTHER, WHICH WAS AN ORIENTATION TO MY OFFICE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO UNDERLINE THE UNIQUENESS OF THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN AT ICANN.
IN THE OMBUDSMAN COMMUNITY, MY OFFICE IS A RARE SORT FOR TWO REASONS.
FIRST, I'M AN EXECUTIVE OMBUDSMAN, WHICH MEANS THAT I'M AN ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION OFFICER WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION WHO RECEIVES COMPLAINTS FROM THE OUTSIDE, AS OPPOSED TO THE GOVERNMENTAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL OMBUDSMAN SCHEMES.
SECONDLY, UNLIKE THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY COLLEAGUES, WHO DEAL WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES USUALLY ON A FACE-TO-FACE BASIS OR BY TELEPHONE, 99% OF MY WORK IS DONE ONLINE.
IT WAS INTERESTING, THEN, TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF MY ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION COLLEAGUES AND TO SEE THE UNIQUENESS OF MY OFFICE AMONGST THEM, AS I WAS THE ONLY OMBUDSMAN IN A GROUP OF MEDIATORS, ARBITRATORS, AND SELF-PARTICIPATORY PLATFORM DIRECTORS.
I WAS ALSO VERY PLEASED AND SURPRISED THAT MY OFFICE WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION OF OTHERS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE REPUTATION OF MY OFFICE WITH MY ODR COLLEAGUES IS VERY POSITIVE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IN KEEPING WITH MY PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS AT THE PUBLIC FORUM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO DO SOME ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION OR OMBUDSMANSHIP EDUCATION.
IN PAST FORUMS, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, FRAMEWORKS FOR THE DELIVERY OF OMBUDSMAN SERVICES, BARRIERS IN ONLINE COMMUNICATION FOR COMPLAINT RESOLUTION, AND THE ROLE OF THE OMBUDSMAN IN AN ORGANIZATION.
TODAY, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT SOME UNDERCURRENTS THAT I HAVE FOUND TO BE IMPORTANT IN BOTH THE CREATION OF DISPUTES AND IN THEIR RESOLUTION.
THESE UNDERCURRENTS ARE CIVILITY AND A BARRIER TO MEANINGFUL AND SUCCESSFUL CONFLICT RESOLUTION, WHICH, FOR WANT OF A BETTER NAME, I WILL DESCRIBE AS A CULTURE OF CRITICISM, WITH DUE DEFERENCE TO THE GENERAL COUNSEL.
I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THOSE ISSUES AND THEN PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FROM MY WORK AS THE OMBUDSMAN TO SHOW HOW THESE TWO FACTORS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES.
CIVILITY, OR, RATHER, THE ABSENCE OF CIVILITY, IS A COMPOUNDING FACTOR IN THE ESCALATION OF CONFLICT.
INCIVILITY IS A BARRIER TO THE ABILITY OF THE OTHER PARTY IN A DISPUTE TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR POSITION.
IT IS CONTRARY TO THE MUTUAL GAINS THEORY OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION ON AN ACADEMIC LEVEL, AND IT'S SIMPLY COUNTER PRODUCTIVE OF THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO RESOLVE DISPUTES BY ATHENIAN DEBATE.
A LEADING ACADEMIC AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY HAS WRITTEN ON THE SUBJECT, AND I'LL QUOTE FOR A MINUTE OR SO.
"LIFE IS A RELATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
WE DO NOT LIVE IN A VACUUM.
WE LIVE AMONG OTHERS.
WE DEPEND ON OTHERS.
AND WE SEEK COMFORT AND LIFE MEANING IN OTHERS.
OUR VERY INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES, SANITY, AND HEALTH ARE SHAPED BY OTHERS' PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.
THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES DEPENDS TO A LARGE EXTENT ON THE NATURE OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS."
IF WE CAN AGREE THAT LIFE IS RELATIONAL, IF WE CAN AGREE THAT BY BETTERING OUR RELATIONSHIP, WE BETTER THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, THEN IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO REQUIRE RELATIONAL COMPETENCE.
THE RULES OF CIVILITY AND GOOD MANNERS GIVE US A BASIC, TIME-PROVEN, AND EFFECTIVE CODE OF RELATIONAL COMPETENCE.
MANNERS AND CIVILITY ARE NOT TRIVIAL MATTERS.
HAVING GOOD MANNERS MEANS HANDLING OTHERS WITH CARE.
CIVILITY IS LINKED TO THE LATIN WORD "CIVITAS," WHICH MEANS CITY OR COMMUNITY.
THUS, CIVILITY IMPLIES A LARGER SOCIAL CONCERN.
WHEN WE ARE CIVIL, WE ARE MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF A COMMUNITY.
WE ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND WE ARE GOOD CITIZENS.
WHETHER WE LOOK AT THE CORE OF MANNERS OR AT THAT OF CIVILITY, WE DISCERN NOT ONLY A PLEASANT FORM OF BEING, BUT OF ETHICAL SUBSTANCE AS WELL.
THE QUALITY OF OUR OWN LIVES IMPROVES TOGETHER THROUGH THE LIVES OF THOSE WE IMPROVE.
SELF-INTEREST AND ALTRUISM FIND A WAY TO CONVERGE IN THE PRACTICE OF CIVILITY.
WE ARE NOT BORN CIVIL.
CIVILITY IS A CODE OF BEHAVIOR ACQUIRED BY LEARNING IT FROM OTHERS AND BY CONSTANT PRACTICING.
FOR OUR SAKE AND THE SAKE OF OUR COMMUNITIES, LET US TEACH, LET US LEARN, LET US PRACTICE.
IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, MR. CHAIRMAN, ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS UNDERTAKING A MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT TO LOOK AT THE EFFECTS OF RUDENESS AND INCIVILITY IN THE WORKPLACE.
THE STUDY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD -- SO THE RESEARCHERS SAY -- WILL EXAMINE HOW PEOPLE REACT TO INCIVILITY FROM FELLOW WORKERS AND WHETHER PEOPLE RETURN BAD MANNERS WITH MORE RUDENESS OF THEIR OWN.
THE RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ON THE RECEIVING END OF RUDE BEHAVIOR MAY UP THE ANTE BY ESCALATING THEIR OWN INCIVILITY IN THE BELIEF THAT THE RUDENESS THAT THEY FEEL WAS DELIBERATE AND PERSONAL.
I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING THAT THE TOPIC OF CIVILITY HAS BECOME THE FOCUS OF RESEARCHERS AT TWO DISPARATE AND VERY WELL-KNOWN UNIVERSITIES.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A UNIVERSAL DEFINITION OF THE CULTURE OF CRITICISM, BUT FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES, I WOULD SAY THAT IT COULD BE DEFINED AS A PREPONDERANCE OF ISSUES RAISED IN A NEGATIVE, HARMFUL, OR CRITICAL MANNER, BUT IN THE DECLARATION OF THAT NEGATIVE SENTIMENT, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE OR OPTION PROPOSED FOR MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE.
THE CULTURE OF CRITICISM IS ONE THAT CONTINUALLY SAYS, "LOOK, YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG," AND THEN OFFERS NO WAY OF MAKING THAT WRONG A RIGHT.
THE CULTURE OF CRITICISM USUALLY DEMONSTRATES THE SENSE OF ANGERED BIAS TOWARDS ANOTHER PERSON OR POSITION.
IN MY WORK AS YOUR OMBUDSMAN, I HAVE SEEN CASES WHERE THE LACK OF CIVILITY OR THE CULTURE OF CRITICISM HAS BEEN THE NASCENT PROBLEM OF THE COMPLAINT.
I'VE HAD COMPLAINTS MADE TO ME WHERE THE CORE ISSUE WAS SIMPLY THAT E-MAILS SENT HAVE NEVER BEEN RESPONDED TO.
THE SIMPLE CIVIL ACT OF RESPONDING TO ANOTHER'S COMMUNICATION WOULD HAVE ALLEVIATED THE NEED FOR THE INVOLVEMENT IN MY OFFICE IN A COMPLAINT.
I HAVE HAD OTHER ISSUES WHERE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM WAS SIMPLY THAT ONE PARTY FELT THAT THEY HAD BEEN TREATED IN A DISRESPECTFUL OR DISPARAGING MANNER BY ANOTHER AND THAT THIS WAS AN UNFAIRNESS TO THEM.
I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS WHERE THE BASIS WAS SIMPLY THAT THAT PERSON WANTS TO BE CRITICAL AND STATE A POSITION AND TO OVERWHELM MY OFFICE WITH BIASED OPINION.
LAST YEAR MY OFFICE WENT THROUGH AN INTERESTING TIME WHEN A GROUP MADE A DECISION TO POST MY DIRECT E-MAIL ON ITS WEB SITE, ALONG WITH A PRO FORMA LETTER THAT THE GROUP'S MEMBERS COULD SEND TO ME.
THERE ARE SEVERAL INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THIS.
FIRST, RATHER THAN COMMUNICATING WITH ME AS A GROUP AND MAKING A COGENT COMPLAINT -- A COMPLAINT IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT THAN CRITICISM IN THAT A COMPLAINT CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM, A DESCRIPTION OF THE UNFAIRNESS FELT, AND A DESIRED OUTCOME -- THIS GROUP SIMPLY CHOSE TO INSTEAD USE A MASS MAILING OF CRITICISM.
IN THE END, THE GROUP FELL SHORT OF BEING ABLE TO GAIN ANY RESOLVE, AS ITS COMPLETELY FRAGMENTED AND CRITICISM-BASED TACTICS ONLY RESULTED IN ME BEING FORCED TO DECLINE JURISDICTION AS THERE WERE NO ISSUES OF FAIRNESS ARTICULATED.
I FOUND THIS GROUP TO BE VERY INTERESTING IN ITS CIVILITY PRACTICES AND IN ITS TRANSPARENCY.
WHILE ITS LEADERS FOUND IT APPROPRIATE TO PUT MY DIRECT E-MAIL ADDRESS ON ITS WEB SITE, THE SAME SITE OFFERED NO ABILITY FOR ANYONE TO SEND E-MAILS TO THEIR LEADERSHIP.
PERHAPS THEY'VE BEEN SCARED OFF BY THEIR OWN UNCIVIL AND CRITICAL TACTICS.
THE ABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AND CONFIDENTIALLY AND THEN BE RESPONDED TO QUICKLY REMAINS A HALLMARK OF MY OFFICE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD SIMPLY ENCOURAGE ALL PARTIES TO LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES BY CONSTRUCTIVE COMPLAINING RATHER THAN BY CRITICISM AND TO CONSIDER CIVILITY AS A KEY FACTOR BEFORE THEY HIT THE "SEND" BUTTON.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE FORUM THIS AFTERNOON.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRANK.
I CAN EXPRESS THE APPRECIATION OF THIS BOARD FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>FRANK FOWLIE: THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENT THAT CIVIL DISCOURSE AT LEAST LEADS TO BETTER POTENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING THAN INTEMPERATE EXCHANGES AND CONCRETE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, IF DELIVERED IN A REASONABLE FASHION, MAY WELL PRODUCE BETTER RESULTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE'VE REACHED A POINT NOW WHERE WE CAN TAKE QUESTIONS, IF THERE ARE ANY, EITHER OF FRANK WITH REGARD TO THE OMBUDSMAN REPORT, OR -- WELL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EUGENIO.
BUT I THINK WE ALREADY ASKED TO SEE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM AS HE FINISHED HIS REPORT.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR OR THE BOARD FOR FRANK?
NO.
OKAY.
SO WE WERE SPECULATING ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD METRIC FOR A SUCCESSFUL OMBUDSMAN, AND MY THOUGHT IMMEDIATELY WAS, IF YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A MEASURE OF SUCCESS.

>>FRANK FOWLIE: I'M SORRY TO DISAPPOINT.
I MUSTN'T BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

>>VINT CERF: WELL, NO, WE JUST NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE FEWER REASONS TO COME TO YOU FOR HELP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRANK.

>>FRANK FOWLIE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

>>VINT CERF: WE NOW HAVE -- JOHN CRAIN, IF YOU'RE HERE, YOU MAY WANT TO BRING EVERYONE UP-TO-DATE ON THE STATUS OF THE WI-FI SERVICE IN THIS ROOM AND IN OTHER ROOMS AROUND THE FACILITY.
SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRYING TO GET ACCESS TO THE INTERNET THROUGH WI-FI WILL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT JOHN HAS TO SAY.

>>JOHN CRAIN: OKAY, ON THE ISSUE OF BEING CIVIL, THERE ARE A FEW MACHINES IN THIS ROOM SPECIFICALLY RUNNING PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS.
WHAT THAT IS DOING IS IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF NOISE IN THE WIRELESS SPECTRUM.
OUR HOSTS HAVE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ACTUALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN MITIGATE THIS AND STILL LET PEOPLE USE THE NETWORK.
SO WE'VE DONE SOME CHANGES.
IF YOU'RE USING A WIRELESS CARD THAT USES, "A" RATHER THAN "B" OR "G," YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET ON WITH THAT.
WE'VE CHANGED SOME OF THE UNITS TO THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT OPTION, YOU CAN DO THAT.
ALTERNATIVELY, THE CENTER FORWARD SECTION OF THE ROOM DOES HAVE WIRES, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GO WIRED.
IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE RUNNING A PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK BY MISTAKE AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN THAT OFF, PLEASE COME SEE MYSELF OR COME AND SEE ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN DOWN HERE FROM THE TECHNICAL CREW.
WE'RE SEEING ONE THAT ACTUALLY SAYS "ICANN," SO THEY'RE USING THE SAME NAME.
I SUSPECT THAT SOMEBODY MISCONFIGURED AS THEY WERE TYPING IN THE SSID, WHICH YOU SOMETIMES TYPE IN TO GET ONTO A NETWORK.
SO COME AND SEE US.
WE'LL HELP YOU FIX THAT.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT SAYS "FREE PUBLIC WI-FI," IT'S NOT.
WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT IT IS OR WHY SOMEBODY HAS THAT ON THEIR -- PRETENDING TO BE A BASE STATION.
BUT, PEOPLE, PLEASE DON'T CONNECT THAT.
AND IF YOU'RE RUNNING THAT BY MISTAKE, PLEASE TURN IT OFF.
BASICALLY, COME TALK TO US IF YOU THINK THAT YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACCIDENTALLY DOING THIS.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN.
I HOPE THAT SOMEDAY, GIVEN THAT WI-FI IS BECOMING VERY WIDESPREAD, WE NEED ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO LOCALIZE THE SOURCES OF INTERFERENCE.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE REINSTITUTE PUBLIC FLOGGING AS A MEANS OF DRAWING ATTENTION TO UNCIVIL BEHAVIOR.
ALL RIGHT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON NOW.
OH, GOOD, WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA A PRESENTATION FROM OUR HOSTS AT THE MOROCCO 2006 MEETING.
I HOPE THEY'RE STILL HERE.
RACHID SEFRIOUI IS OUR -- ONE OF OUR HOSTS, AND HE'S PREPARED TO GIVE US A GLIMPSE AHEAD OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN MOROCCO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE, AND MARRAKESH IS ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING CITIES IN THE WORLD.
YOU WILL -- IF YOU FIND TIME AT ALL TO GET OUT OF THE ICANN MEETINGS, TAKE SOME EXTRA TIME AND VISIT NOT ONLY MARRAKESH, BUT ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
IT IS TRULY A WONDERFUL AND INTERESTING PLACE.
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY?
THERE'S ALWAYS -- IF THIS WERE TELEVISION, WE'D HAVE DEAD AIR AND WE'D BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE, WOULDN'T WE?
GOOD.

>>RACHID SEFRIOUI: OKAY.
THANK YOU.
THANKS TO THE ICANN BOARD MEETING TO GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A SHORT PRESENTATION ON THE NEXT ICANN MEETING.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION.
THEN I HAVE A FILM FOR YOU THAT WILL BE, I GUESS, MORE EXPLICIT THAN I WILL BE.
ABOUT THE MEETING NOW, THE MEETING WILL BE ORGANIZED IN MARRAKESH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, FROM THE 26TH TO THE 30TH OF JUNE, AND THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE BIGGEST CONVENTION CENTER IN MOROCCO.
THIS CONVERSATION CENTER IS LOCATED AT A FIVE-STAR HOTEL.
SO THERE WILL BE -- THE CONVENTION WILL BE AT THE SITE OF A BIG HOTEL THERE.
AND WE HAVE 60 HOTELS IN MARRAKESH, SIX OF THEM ARE A A FIVE-MINUTE WALK FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE ALSO HAVE AROUND 300 GUEST HOUSES THAT COMPLETE THE LODGING OPPORTUNITIES.
FOR THOSE WHO MAYBE DON'T KNOW MOROCCO, MOROCCO IS RIGHT IN THE CROSSROAD OF THE ORIENT AND THE OCCIDENT, NOT TOO FAR FROM EUROPE AND NOT TOO FAR FROM NEW YORK.
YOU KNOW WE ARE SIX HOURS' FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK AND OTHER DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
I CAN GIVE YOU A BRIEF VIEW ON THE DIVERSITY OF THE CLIMATE, THE CULTURE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT LET ME JUST SUMMARIZE, SAYING THAT WE ARE BOARDED BY TWO SEAS, THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE ATLANTIC.
AND WE HAVE ALSO THE FAMOUS ATLAS MOUNTAINS THAT LIMIT THE EXPANSION OF THE DESERT.
WE ALSO ARE KNOWN FOR OUR HANDY CRAFTS AND OUR FAMOUS DISHES, ONE OF THEM MAYBE YOU KNOW ALREADY IS COUSCOUS.
TALKING ABOUT SOME FACTS OF THE COUNTRY OF MOROCCO.
WE ARE QUITE A LARGE COUNTRY, 30 MILLION PEOPLE, 710,000 SQUARE KILOMETERS, AND 3500 KILOMETER COASTLINE.
WE HAVE A YOUNG POPULATION.
30% OF IT IS BELOW 15 YEARS OLD. AND WE HAVE NOW A GROWING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
WE HAVE A PENETRATION RATE OF OVER 42%, THANKS TO THE EXPANSION OF THE MOBILE.
TALKING ABOUT INTERNET, TODAY, MOROCCO, WE HAVE OVER 4.5 MILLION INTERNET USERS, 4,000 CYBER SPACES, WHICH MOST OF THEM ARE CYBER CAFE.
AND WE HAVE CREATED AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT OF ADSL. AND WE HAVE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND WE ARE NOW OVER 250,000 SUBSCRIBERS.
NOW, THIS IS COMING AT A GOOD TIME FOR OUR COUNTRY, BECAUSE WE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT SOME BIG ISSUES.
ONE OF THEM IS THE INTERNET CONFIDENCE.
SO WE HAVE BEEN -- WE HAVE ADOPTED LATELY SOME KIND OF LEGAL FRAMEWORK, NEW LEGAL FRAMEWORK REGARDING THE INTERNET CONFIDENCE.
WE HAVE AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAM TO GENERALIZE THE USE OF THE INTERNET IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND THIS PROGRAM, IF YOU GIVE ME TEN SECONDS ON THAT, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT HAS THE AIM OF CONNECTING 8,000 SCHOOLS IN MOROCCO IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, IT'S A $100 MILLION BUDGET PROGRAM.
AND IT'S ALSO INVOLVING DIFFERENT INVESTORS, LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ONE.
THE THIRD ISSUE IS THE RE-DELEGATION OF .MA.
SO WE WILL HAVE AN INDEPENDENT BODY THAT WILL BE MANAGING THE .MA COUNTRY CODE FROM MOROCCO.
NOW FOR THE TRAVEL.
I'M GOING TO TURN -- TRY TO GET YOU TO MARRAKESH AT THE LEAST COST IN TWO MINUTES.
SO WE ENTER TO GET TO MARRAKESH AND THE FIRST THING FOR ME IS TO SHARE WITH YOU THE HAPPINESS OF THE PEOPLE FROM MARRAKESH.
THE SECOND THING IS, IF YOU HAVE TIME, I'M NOT SURE YOU WILL HAVE, BUT I WILL TRY TO FIND TIME FOR TO YOU PLAY SOME GOLF.
AND ALSO TO BE -- TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE FINE ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES IN MARRAKESH.
IT GOES FROM SPAS, FINE RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, AND EVERYTHING.
WE WILL HAVE AN EXCITING PROGRAM, ENTERTAINING PROGRAM FOR THE ATTENDEES, BUT ALSO THEIR FAMILIES THAT WILL BE ON THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE.
YOU WILL KNOW THAT MARRAKESH IS AN IMPERIAL CITY, SO YOU WILL BE DISCOVERING THE RAMPARTS.
YOU WILL -- WE WILL MAKE YOU VISIT THE JAMAA EL FNA SQUARE, WHERE YOU HAVE THE STORYTELLERS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS, SNAKE CHARMERS.
WE WILL HAVE THAT ON THE MOVIE AFTERWARDS.
THIS SQUARE IS TRANSFORMED AT NIGHT AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST RESTAURANTS IN MARRAKESH, OR IN THE WORLD, ACTUALLY.
SO THIS IS MY WAY TO GET YOU TRANSPORTED TO DIFFERENT TIME AND PLACE IN A FEW SECONDS.
THIS IS THE EVENT VENUE, IMAGES THAT YOU MAY SEE THAT WE -- IT'S A QUITE IMPRESSIVE PLACE THAT HAS BEEN -- WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN -- SEEN SOME MAJOR EVENTS.
ONE OF THE WAS THE GATT CONFERENCE AT THE -- THE OTHERS ARE THE PLENIPOTENTIARY, ITU, I'LL LEAVE THE REST FOR YOUR CURIOSITY TO BE FILLED WHEN YOU COME TO MARRAKESH.
SOME PRACTICAL INFORMATION.
ONE OF THEM IS, I INVITE YOU TO GO TO THE WEB SITE, THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE EVENT, WHICH IS WWW.ICANNMARRAKESH.MA.
SECOND POINT IS THAT WE'LL JUST KNOWING THAT MARRAKESH IS A TOURIST DESTINATION, I INVITE YOU TO MAKE A RESERVATION LONG TIME IN ADVANCE FOR THE ROOMS.
TAKING ALSO THAT MARRAKESH IS AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SO THERE IS A DAILY FLIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM PARIS.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO COME FROM CASABLANCA AIRPORT, WHICH IS A REGIONAL HUB.
THERE'S NO VISA REQUIRED FOR MOST EUROPEAN CITIES AND AMERICAN CITIES.
THAT YOU CAN CHECK ON THE WEB SITE.
WE HAVE THE LIST ON THAT.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT THAT TIME SHOULD BE -- I SAY SHOULD BE -- AROUND 29 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, CELSIUS.
SO WE INVITE YOU AND WE HOPE TO HAVE YOU SHARE WITH US THE -- AND EXPERIENCE WITH US, MOROCCAN HOSPITALITY.
AND WE WILL RUN THE MOVIE AND THE FILM FOR YOU AND MAYBE BE MORE EXPLICIT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: I WONDER IF I COULD GET ONE QUESTION.
CAN YOU SAY JUST AGAIN, MAYBE, WHAT WILL THE TEMPERATURE BE LIKE?
WHAT KIND OF WEATHER WILL WE BE EXPERIENCING IN JUNE?

>>RACHID SEFRIOUI: OKAY.
GOOD POINT.
IT SHOULD BE RANGING, I MEAN, BETWEEN 27, 26, 27, TO 33 DEGREES.

>>VINT CERF: SO DRESS LIGHTLY?

>>RACHID SEFRIOUI: 80 -- YEAH.

>>VINT CERF: 80 TO 90 DEGREES OR SO.

>>RACHID SEFRIOUI: THE GOOD POINT IS ALSO THAT THE -- THERE IS NO HUMIDITY THERE.
IT'S VERY DRY.

>>VINT CERF: THIS IS WHAT THEY SAY IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA IN THE UNITED STATES WHEN IT'S 108 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, 37 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, AND THEY SAY, "BUT THERE'S NO -- IT'S NOT HUMID."
SO THAT HELPS.
VENI AND THEN MOUHAMET.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: I ASSUME THESE ARE THE TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT PROBABLY.
BUT --
[ LAUGHTER ]

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: BUT MY POINT WAS DIFFERENT, ACTUALLY.
SOMEBODY MADE A NOTE ABOUT THE WEATHER IN WELLINGTON, THAT IT'S RAINING AND THERE IS NO SUN.
I THINK BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN, IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT'S THE WEATHER, BECAUSE WE ARE STUCK INTO THE HOTEL AND INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND THAT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE.
SO THAT'S MY POINT.

>>VINT CERF:MOUHAMET.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: MY QUESTION, IS THE MEETING FOR TOMORROW OR -- THE MEETING FOR MOROCCO, IS IT FOR TOMORROW?
IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT I --

>>VINT CERF: OH, NO.
THAT WAS -- THAT WAS MOROCCO, NOT TOMORROW.
RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
WE LOOK FORWARD -- OH, WHAT IS THIS?
OH, THERE'S A MOVIE.
(VIDEO)
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT MEETING.
MY NOTES SAY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE OUR HOST FROM BRAZIL HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT WE DO. ARE THEY HERE?

>>HARTMUT GLASER: AT THE NEXT MEETING IN MARRAKESH.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY. SO WE WON'T GET AN EARLY PEEK UNTIL JUNE TO SEE WHAT'S AWAITING OUR ARRIVAL IN SAO PAULO.
AT THIS POINT, AFTER A CONSULTATION WITH PAUL TWOMEY, I'M GOING TO POSTPONE THE PRESIDENT'S STRATEGY COMMITTEE REPORT UNTIL TOMORROW, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT QUITE READY FOR PRESENTATION.
THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE BASICALLY AT THE END OF THE FORMAL PRESENTATIONS EXCEPT FOR ANY OPEN COMMENTS THAT THOSE OF YOU HERE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
SO I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO GENERAL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT UNTIL, AT THE LATEST, 5:45 WHEN THE BOARD NEEDS TO DEPART.
SO DON'T FORGET TO IDENTIFY YOURSELVES AND LETS PROCEED.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: THANK YOU, VINT. MY NAME IS JOOP TEERNSTRA, AND I HAD A QUESTION FOR PAUL.
WITH REGARDS TO THE ACADEMIC STUDY THAT'S GOING TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS TO REVIEW ICANN'S STRUCTURE, CAN YOU EXTRAPOLATE A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BRIEF THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THESE PEOPLE, AND WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO COME UP WITH?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANKS FOR THAT.
THERE IS A -- I HATE TO BE THIS FLIPPANT BUT THERE IS ACTUALLY A LINK IN THE ICANN WEB SITE TO THE TERMS OF REFERENCE, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA:JOOP COULD YOU EXPAND A LITTLE ON THOSE THAT ARE ON THE WEB SITE?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I EXPECT THAT'S A PRETTY DANGEROUS THING FOR ME TO BE ASKED TO DO, TO BE TRUTHFUL.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS....
THE -- I WONDER IF WE COULD BRING UP THE TERMS OF REFERENCE ON THE -- OKAY, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THEM UP.
I HAVE TO SAY, CHAIRMAN, OCCASIONALLY WHEN ONE LOOKS AT THE TRANSCRIPT, ONE UNDERSTANDS HOW INARTICULATE ONE IS.

>>VINT CERF: I HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING THE TRANSCRIPT UNFOLD WHILE I'M TALKING, AND THEN STOPPING TO SEE WHAT IT IS I'M GOING TO SAY NEXT.
[ LAUGHTER ]

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: MR. CHAIRMAN, COULD I ASK A QUESTION?

>>VINT CERF: YES, CERTAINLY. GO AHEAD, SUSAN.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE SAY, IF YOU WERE KING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO SAY?

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: CARTE BLANCHE, BASICALLY. TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S NOT DICTATED AT ALL BY THE PRESENT STRUCTURE AND WORK UP RIGHT FROM THE START OF WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES WOULD BE OF A REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURE. AND WHAT ARE THE PRACTICALITIES.
BUT I WANTED PAUL TO EXPAND A LITTLE ON THE WHY OF THE CURRENT BRIEF, IN THAT SENSE. NOT EXPAND TO REFINE IT, BUT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND AS TO WHAT LED TO THE BRIEF AS IT HAS BEEN GIVEN ON THE WEB SITE.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THIS IS -- JUST FOR THE STAFF, THIS IS STILL THE BACKGROUND DOCUMENT. IT'S NOT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE.
ALTHOUGH YOU COULD -- YES, GO ON.
I'M SORRY ABOUT THIS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING THE TEXT UP SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING TO.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA:JOOP YOU CAN SEE HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND SOMETHING ON THE WEB SITE.

>>VINT CERF: SO WHILE WE HAVE THIS DEAD AIR, AND I HAVE AN OPEN MICROPHONE, JUST -- NO, NO. I WASN'T GOING TO BRING ANOTHER QUESTION IN. I WAS GOING TO JUST MAKE AN OBSERVATION, THAT WHEN YOU DO ANY KIND OF THING LIKE THIS SORT OF REVIEW, THAT YOU DO NEED SOME KIND OF FRAMEWORK IN WHICH TO DO THE REVIEW. SO I'M SURE YOU DIDN'T REALLY MEAN THAT THE ENTIRE TERMS OF REFERENCE WOULD SIMPLY BE CARTE BLANCHE.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS BY WHICH THIS TERMS OF REFERENCE WERE DEVELOPED INVOLVED A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF CONSULTATION WITH THE GNSO, IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN.
SO PAUL --

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WELL, THAT IS RIGHT, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY POSED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE IT WAS FINALIZED.
SO KEEP GOING DOWN, PLEASE.
SECOND LAST DOT POINT. DOWN.
IF YOU GO BACK. THOSE ARE THE DRAFT TERMS.
IF YOU LOOK IN THE FRAME SECTION, IT SAYS "TERMS OF REFERENCE."
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
THIS IS JUST THE INTRODUCTION MATERIAL.
OKAY. KEEP GOING.
SO THERE'S A REVIEW -- THE TERMS OF REFERENCE SAY FIRST THERE IS A REVIEW OF THE GNSO AS A WHOLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ORGANIZATION HAS A CONTINUING PURPOSE IN THE ICANN STRUCTURE. AND THEN THERE'S A REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUENCIES WHICH MAKE UP THAT WHOLE.
I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THOSE ARE FAIRLY EXPANSIVE TERMS OF REFERENCE.
THEN IT GOES ON FOCUS AREAS SEEK TO EXAMINE AND QUANTIFY THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE GNSO AS A WHOLE AND THE CONSTITUENCIES AS INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES REFLECT GLOBAL STANDARD INTERESTS. WHETHER THE OPERATION OF EACH CONSTITUENCY IS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, AND WHETHER THE PROCEDURES USED WITHIN THE CONSTITUENCIES TO DEVELOP BOTTOM-UP POLICY ARE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE FAIRNESS. AND THEN IT SAYS, "FOCUS AREAS CAN BE GROUPED AS FOLLOWS," AND THERE ARE A SERIES OF EXAMPLES UNDER "REPRESENTEDNESS." IF YOU CAN STREAM DOWN BELOW THAT.
"EFFECTIVENESS," KEEP GOING.
AND TRANSPARENCY.
I'D BE INTERESTED -- THESE WERE DEVELOPED, THOUGH, PART OF THE DISCUSSION WITH GNSO COUNCIL. IT WAS ABOUT THE GNSO AS A WHOLE, NOT ABOUT THE GNSO COUNCIL. THEY WERE POSTED.
DO YOU HAVE -- AND THEY SEEM TO ME TO BE QUITE BROAD.
I'D BE INTERESTED HOW MUCH BROADER YOU WOULD HAVE MADE THEM.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: JOOP, WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT WOULD MEAN -- IT COULD MEAN THAT RECOMMENDATION TO ABOLISH CERTAIN CONSTITUENCIES WOULD BE POSSIBLE UNDER THAT BRIEF? OR TO ADD NEW CONSTITUENCIES?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: IF WE GO BACK UP.
KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING.
OKAY. STOP.
I THINK -- I THINK YOU COULD IMPLY OUT OF THAT WORDING THAT THE OPERATION OF CONSTITUENCIES AND THE NEED FOR NEW CONSTITUENCIES IS CERTAINLY INCLUDED WITHIN THERE. AND I KNOW THAT THE TEAM WHO ARE DOING THE REVIEW ARE CERTAINLY GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK, AND WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THE TEAM WOULD ACTUALLY BE REPORTING BACK ON A LOT OF THAT FEEDBACK THEY RECEIVE.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: BUT THE LIMIT IS CLEARLY THE GNSO BECAUSE AS IT SAYS, THE ROLE OF THE GNSO WITHIN THE EXISTING ICANN STRUCTURE. IF THE CONCLUSIONS WOULD BE THAT THE EXISTING ICANN STRUCTURE MIGHT HAVE TO BE AMENDED AS WELL IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NEW GNSO, WOULD THAT BE OUTSIDE THE BRIEF OR WOULD THAT STILL BE CONSIDERED INSIDE THE BRIEF?

>>VINT CERF: MY REACTION TO THIS, QUITE FRANKLY, IS THAT WHAT WE WILL GET BACK, I HOPE, IS AN EVALUATION OF THE ORGANIZATION. AND IF THEY FIND DEFICIENCIES IN IT, WHETHER THEY MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REMEDYING THOSE DEFICIENCIES OR SIMPLY DRAW ATTENTION TO IT, ONE TAKES THAT REPORT AND THEN DRAWS CONCLUSIONS FROM IT.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE ISN'T ANY LIMITATION ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS FUNCTION AS IT PRESENTLY STAND.
IF IT'S GOING TO BE MODIFIED, THAT'S, OF COURSE, A FAIRLY COMPLEX MATTER BECAUSE THE GNSO AS A STRUCTURE IS BUILT INTO OUR BYLAWS. SO IT WOULD BE QUITE A CYCLE OF MODIFICATION IF WE HAD TO MAKE ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES BUT WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE.
SO MY IMPRESSION, UNLESS SOMEONE SEES IT DIFFERENTLY, IS THAT THESE REVIEWS ARE INTENDED TO SCRUTINIZE THE ORGANIZATION AS IT PRESENTLY EXISTS, HOW WELL IT WORKS, WHETHER IT HAS ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION FROM INTERESTED PARTIES. AND IF NOT, OUR ATTENTION WILL BE DRAWN TO THAT.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT LIMITATION, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO FOCUS ON THE GNSO, BECAUSE THAT'S THE POINT OF THE REVIEW.
IT'S NOT A REVIEW OF THE CCNSO OR REVIEW OF THE RSSAC OR ANYTHING ELSE. WE DO THOSE REVIEWS INDEPENDENTLY AND SEPARATELY.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: THANK YOU, VINT.
THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE SCOPE AND THE POSSIBLE IMPACT AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE GNSO REVIEW CAME OUT IN A PREVIOUS PUBLIC SESSION. I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY OR THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WITH A NUMBER OF CONSTITUENCIES OF THE GNSO.
THE STATEMENT WE MADE THERE FROM THE BOARD IS THAT THE BOARD IS OPEN TO ALL RESULTS. IT'S NOT PREJUDGING ANYTHING IN THE RESULTS.
WE NOTICED -- FURTHER, WE HAVE FORESEEN -- I MEAN, IT'S VERY HARD TO FORESEE ANY OTHER PROCESS THAN HAVING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW WHICH ARE PUBLISHED VERY PROMPTLY AFTER IT'S DELIVERED. AND FROM THERE, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DO WHATEVER THE REPORT SUGGESTS OR CAUSE US TO THINK.
SO MAYBE IF, IN THE PRESENT CASE, THE SPEAKER AT THE MICROPHONE HAS A SPECIFIC OUTCOME IN MIND, WE WOULD NOT BE GRASPING AT STRAWS AND WADDLING IN THIS FISHING EXPEDITION. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, MAKE IT EXPLICITLY KNOWN. IF IT'S TOO LONG TO EXPRESS RIGHT NOW HERE IN PUBLIC, MAYBE MAKE IT KNOWN TO THE REVIEWERS, AND WE COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WITH YOU AND MAKE IT PRODUCTIVE.

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: I THOUGHT, ALEJANDRO, IN MY CASE THAT WOULDN'T BE VERY NECESSARY, BUT YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT. I SHOULD ELUCIDATE WHAT I AM AFTER, OF COURSE. WHAT I HAVE BEEN AFTER THE LAST SIX YEARS. THAT IS A PROPER REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE ULTIMATE STAKEHOLDERS, THE INDIVIDUAL DOMAIN NAME REGISTRANTS. AND A PLACE FOR THEM IN THE STRUCTURE, IN THE REPRESENTATION STRUCTURE OF ICANN VIA THE GNSO, OR VIA ANY OTHER STRUCTURE THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND.
BUT AT LEAST THAT THEY ARE COMPARED WITH. THAT'S ALL.

>>VINT CERF: MIKE.

>>MICHAEL PALAGE: YEAH, I THINK WHAT JOOP IS SAYING IS SOMETHING THAT HE ACTUALLY RAISED IN THE SPRING OF '99 IN BERLIN. MY QUESTION IS HAS HE SPOKEN WITH THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMIC PEOPLE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND MY QUESTION, HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH THEM, JOOP?

>>JOOP TEERNSTRA: BRIEFLY, YES.

>>VINT CERF: PAUL.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: MY UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR BRIEF IS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT FEEL CONSTRAINED IN THE CONVERSATION YOU HAVE WITH THOSE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY PUT YOUR VIEWS AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY. THANK YOU, PAUL.
LET'S TAKE THE NEXT COMMENT.

>>BOB CONNELLY: BOB CONNELLY. I'D LIKE TO BRING A LIGHT-HEARTED THOUGHT TOWARD THE NEXT MEETING.
DURING THE '40S, THERE WAS A SERIES OF MOVIES WITH BOB HOPE, BING COSBY AND DOROTHY LAMOUR, ONE OF WHICH WAS THE ROAD TO MOROCCO. WE MIGHT KEEP IN MIND THE WORSE TO THE SONG, "LIKE WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY, WE ARE MOROCCO BOUND." AND AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES PUNS, I LOVE THAT. WE ARE MOROCCO BOUND.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO BRING UP CASA BLANCA FOR SOME REASON.
NEXT.

>>BRANDON SANDERS: YES, MY NAME IS BRANDON SANDERS, AND I MADE A COMMENT EARLIER AND RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE THAT THEY'D LIKE ME TO EXPAND ON THAT BRIEFLY.

>>VINT CERF: YOU LOOK TERRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE MICROPHONE CAN BE TILTED UPWARD AND YOU CAN AVOID STRAIN ON YOUR BACK.

>>BRANDON SANDERS: I AM A COLLABORATION ENTHUSIAST AND MY WIFE AND I HAVE A DEAL. AND THE DEAL IS THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR I GET TO USE MY SKILLS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS OFFER MY SERVICES FREE, AND LIKE ALL THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS HERE, TO HELP Y'ALL COLLABORATE MORE EFFECTIVELY.
AND I NOTICED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU USE E-MAIL AND FORUMS PRETTY HEAVILY, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST TELL A SHORT ANECDOTE TO ILLUSTRATE WHY E-MAIL IS ACTUALLY A MEDIUM THAT LEADS TO EXPANSIVE EXPLORATION AND MORE AND MORE THINGS COMING IN, AND ALSO TO POLARIZATION. AND WHAT I FEEL LIKE YOU REALLY NEED IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY LEADS TO CONSENSUS AND TO A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE AGREEMENT.
AND THE ANECDOTE IS ONE FROM THE OMIDYAR NETWORK WHICH IS A NETWORK OF DO-GOODERS PUT TOGETHER BY ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF E-BAY. IT'S A PLACE WHERE ANYBODY CAN COME AND PARTICIPATE. AND BECAUSE PIERRE OMIDYAR AND HIS WIFE ARE VERY WEALTHY, THEY ATTRACT A LOT OF MOTHS TO THAT PARTICULAR FLAME.
AND THE MOTHS WRANGLED $25,000 OUT OF THE OMIDYARS TO MAKE A BETTER PLACE. THAT MONEY WAS NOT A LOT IN TERMS OF ICANN, BUT TO THE MEMBERS THERE, THIS WAS A LOT. SO IT MEANT A LOT TO THEM.
AND AFTER FOUR MONTHS AND 10,000 FORUM POSTS, THE COMMUNITY WAS COMPLETELY DIVIDED, COMPLETELY POLARIZED, AND COULDN'T EVEN DECIDE HOW TO GIVE THE MONEY AWAY LET ALONE WHO TO GIVE IT AWAY TO.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF FORUMS.
NOW, WIKI AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON THAT LEAD MORE TOWARDS THE NEUTRAL POINT OF VIEW, ACTUALLY COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY. AND WHAT EVOLVED OUT OF THAT PROCESS ON OMIDYAR NETWORK IS CALLED CONSENSUS POLLING. AND IN FOUR DAYS WE GOT 92.6% OF 60 PEOPLE ON A WAY TO GIVE AWAY HALF OF THAT MONEY. AND I REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ICANN SORT OF BREAK OUT OF ITS LOGJAM ON A LOT OF THINGS AND BUBBLE UP. STAY TRUE TO ITS MANDATE, STAY TRUE TO ITS MISSION AND BUBBLE UP THE INFORMATION, THE WISDOM OF THE MASSES, IF YOU WILL, THE COMMON SENSE OF THE MASSES, IF YOU WILL.
SO I AM JUST MAKING MYSELF AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO USE THIS FOR THEIR CONSTITUENCIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I'LL HELP SET IT UP. I HAVE A TEAM OF TECHIES BACK IN OREGON WHERE I AM FROM, WHO WILL HELP FACILITATE AND MAKE SURE THE TECHNOLOGY IS RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
I JUST WANT TO SEE YOU GUYS WORK REALLY EFFECTIVELY, SO THAT'S IT
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE VOLUNTEER HELP. SO WE WILL FOLLOW-UP ON THAT. THANK YOU.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE FLOOR.
DON'T FORGET TO IDENTIFY YOURSELVES.

>>SOPHIA BEKELE: MY NAME IS SOPHIA BEKELE.

>>VINT CERF: THAT WHOLE THING SHOULD SOPHIA BEKELE THERE YOU GO.

>>VINT CERF: THERE YOU ARE. YOU HAVE THE KNIGHT ON THE WHITE HORSE HAS COME TO RESCUE YOU.

>>SOPHIA BEKELE: MY NAME IS SOPHIA BEKELE. I'M APPOINTED BY THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE ON THE GNSO COUNCIL A FEW MONTHS BACK. I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ANY SOPHISTICATED SOLUTION LIKE THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME TO SOLVE ICANN'S PROBLEMS, BUT I JUST HAVE JUST A COMMENT ON, SO FAR, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED ANYWAY.
COMING FROM NON-LATIN AND NON-ASCII SPEAKING COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY I TAKE AN INTEREST ON THE POLICY OF THE IDNS AND I'M AFRAID I WAS A BIT TOO LOUD, EVEN NOT KNOWING THAT THE COUNCIL WAS POSTING ITS COMMENTS PUBLICLY. THAT WAS AN INTERESTING FINDING FOR ME.
BUT I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR TAKING THE TIME AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE CONCERNS ON THE SUNDAY MEETING.
AND CERTAINLY OUR GNSO CHAIR, BRUCE TONKIN, HAS QUICKLY ADVANCED THE AGENDA IN THAT AREA.
HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME ALSO NOTE THAT I AM ALSO AN AFRICAN, DIASPORA, AND ALSO ONE WHO SPENT MANY YEARS WORKING IN AFRICA, THE PRIVATE SECTOR MAINLY, AND I AM AWARE OF SOME OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS MADE BY ICANN TOWARDS AFRICA AND WANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE. CERTAINLY MY FELLOW AFRICAN MOUHAMET DIOP HAS ARTICULATED VERY WELL EARLIER THE NEED FOR THE REGIONAL PRESENCE FOR AFRICA. AND I JUST WANT TO ADD WITH 800 MILLION PEOPLE NEEDING ONLINE PRESENCE, I SEE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ICANN TO EMBRACE AFRICA IN ITS UPCOMING AGENDA. ESPECIALLY AS WE MARCH TOWARDS MARRAKESH.
THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. MAYBE A WEEKEND IN CASA BLANCA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VINT CERF: THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT COMMENT.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: HI, VINT. ELLIOT NOSS FROM TUCOWS.
FIRST A QUICK QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE IS STILL SOME PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TOMORROW AND OPEN MIKE?

>>VINT CERF: YES, THERE IS, ALTHOUGH GIVEN THAT I AM SHIFTING THINGS AROUND, IT'S MORE CONSTRAINED, SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO BRING UP, NOW WOULD PROBABLY BE AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: HMMM. WELL, NOW I'M FORCED TO BOTH FACTOR THAT AND FRANK FOWLIE'S COMMENTS IN.

>>FRANK FOWLIE: PLEASE FACTOR MINE IN HIGHLY.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: I WILL.
THERE ARE THREE THOUGHTS I WANT TO INJECT INTO THE DISCUSSION.
FIRST, A JEOPARDY-STYLE QUESTION.
200,000, 400,000, 600,000. 1.2 MILLION, 2.2 MILLION.
THAT WOULD BE THE ANSWER.
AND THE QUESTION WOULD BE TUCOWS' CONTRIBUTION TO THE ICANN BUDGET OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
THE LAST NUMBER DOESN'T INCLUDE THE 7% .COM TAX THAT WE WILL NOW BE PAYING AS WELL.
I WANT TO, WHEN YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS, TO RECOGNIZE THAT ANY CONTRIBUTION, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT'S GROWING LIKE THAT, REALLY WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO SCRUTINY AND TO AN ASSESSMENT OF VALUE.
AND THE NEXT COUPLE COMMENTS, I WANT TO SORT OF MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE DIRECTED TO NOT JUST THE BOARD. BOARD, STAFF, GNSO.
I WAS REALLY STRUCK, AS I TOOK IN A LOT OF THE GOOD AND BAD, WHETHER IT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE GNSO PROCEEDINGS, THE BOARD DISCUSSION AND DEBATE, ABOUT HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE WERE ALL SPENDING OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT AND ADDRESSING WAS WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS EXISTENTIAL IN NATURE.
IT WAS ABOUT ICANN THE INSTITUTION, NOT ABOUT THE WORK THAT ICANN SHOULD BE DOING, IN MY VIEW.
I FEAR, ESPECIALLY LINED UP WITH THOSE BUDGET NUMBERS, THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT I JUST DESCRIBED, THAT FOR SOME, AND PERHAPS MANY, OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THOSE THREE GROUPS THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED, ICANN HAS BECOME AN END IN AND OF ITSELF. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT, CERTAINLY FOR ME, AND I THINK FOR MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, ICANN IS A MEANS TO AN END. AND IT'S A MEANS TO A VERY IMPORTANT END. AND THAT IS ITS ROLE AS TRUSTEE, PUBLIC TRUSTEE, OF AN OPEN INTERNET.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING AND THINKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS ITEMS ON AN AGENDA OR THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING, I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PUT A STRONG FILTER ON WHETHER THAT IS PROGRESS AT AN INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL, ICANN AS AN END, OR WHETHER THAT'S REALLY PROGRESS TOWARDS WHAT WORK ICANN SHOULD BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN.
AND I THINK THAT ONE OF MY OTHER FEARS IS THAT THERE ARE TWO -- TWIN MONSTERS THAT WE'RE ALL MADE TO BE TOO AFRAID OF IN THIS PROCESS NOW. AND THOSE ARE THE FEAR OF -- I CALL IT INCURSION FROM THE OUTSIDE. GOVERNMENT CONTROL, U.N., ITU, ONE SET OF FEARS. WE HAVE TO ENGAGE IN A WHOLE SERIES OF WORK TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THAT MONSTER.
AND THE SECOND IS SECURITY AND STABILITY. THAT IF WE'RE NOT VERY CAREFUL, THE INTERNET WILL BREAK.
I WISH TO JUST GIVE MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, WHICH IS THAT THE INTERNET IS INCREDIBLY MALLEABLE, INCREDIBLY STRONG, AND DOES A BRILLIANT JOB OF NOT DEALING WITH TROUBLE, BUT ROUTING AROUND IT.
AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THOSE TWO FEARS, THOSE TWO MONSTERS THAT ARE PLACED IN FRONT OF US, ARE NOT REAL. WHEN I SAY "NOT REAL," THERE ARE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF BOTH OF THOSE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BUT THEY CAN'T BE THE BE ALL AND END ALL OF WHAT THIS INSTITUTION DOES.
I REALLY FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE THAT EVEN IN A WORST-CASE SCENARIO AROUND BOTH OF THOSE TWIN FEARS THAT THE INTERNET WOULD SURVIVE. AND I'LL BELIEVE THAT IN THE RCMP KNOCKS ON MY DOOR AND TEARS MY NAME SERVER FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS
[ LAUGHTER ]
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: ACTUALLY, THE METAPHOR MIGHT BE MORE LIKE WHEN THE DISTRIBUTED REFLEXIVE DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK TEARS YOUR HOUSE APART. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR THOSE VERY THOUGHTFUL WORDS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL HANDS UP. OKAY. PAUL, SUSAN, AND VENI, AND ALEX, MY GOODNESS.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND IT ACTUALLY TO MY SHAME REMINDED ME OF A SLIDE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN MY PRESIDENT'S REPORT AND WAS NOT, SO I NEED TO VERBALLY ADDRESS TO IT.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: ANOTHER CHARLTON HESTON REFERENCE?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: A MIKE MOORE REFERENCE. BUT ANYWAY.
BUT NO. I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT THE INSTITUTION OBSESSION, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT I ALSO PERSONALLY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT THAT, THAT I HAVE AS BEING THE PRESIDENT OF AN ORGANIZATION.
ONE THING THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT A BIGGER BUDGET IS TWO THINGS. AS WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT PROGRAM FOR, AND I WANT TO SAY IN MY PRESENT AND FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT, ONE IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DASHBOARD WHICH REPORTS DATA TO THE COMMUNITY ON AN UPDATING BASIS ON WHAT THE OPERATIONAL ASPECTS ARE, AND WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE TOOLS NOW AND I WANT TO SEE THE REAL WORK GOING ON WITH THE DASHBOARD REPORTING ON THE REAL WORK OF THE STAFF FUNCTIONS AT LEAST.
THE SECOND ONE IS THE OTHER -- MY FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR AND OTHERS COME WITH VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE AS WE ARE ACTUALLY GROWING AND WE HAVE MORE RESOURCES TO ACTUALLY ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE SORTS OF OPERATIONAL AUDITS THAT ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING FAT AND FLABBY AND NOT DOING THE WRONG TERMS IN TERMS OF STAFF FUNCTION. SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF OUR OPERATIONAL THINGS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING. THAT WILL HAVE INTERNAL SORT OF REPORTING BUT I THINK IT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING WHILE WE ARE GROWING IN BUDGET, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
NJERI RIONGE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY A GREAT VOICE FOR THIS. IT'S IMPORTANT WE HAVE SORT OF OPERATIONAL ORDER TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE STRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND NOT DOING IT WRONG.
SO BOTH THAT SORT OF AUDITING FUNCTION AND THE CONSTANT SORT OF KPR REPORTING TOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE IS ONE OF OUR COMMITMENTS TO TRY TO ADDRESS AT LEAST PART OF WHAT YOU ARE --

>>ELLIOT NOSS: NO, IRONICALLY, IN FACT, AND I THINK THIS IS -- IF I MAY, VINT, THIS REALLY GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL OUT WHAT, FOR ME, WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE.
INSIDE OF TUCOWS, WE TEND TO HAVE TWO POOLS OF PROJECTS.
WE HAD PRODUCT-RELATED PROJECTS AND INTERNAL TOOLS RELATED PROJECTS.
FOR ME, EVERYTHING YOU DESCRIBED WOULD GO IN THAT INTERNAL TOOLS BUCKET.
WHAT I'M STRONGLY CALLING OUT FOR, PAUL, IS MORE RESOURCES, AND THAT'S HOW I FELT IT WAS OVERWEIGHTED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THE STUFF THAT KURT WAS PRESENTING.
THERE'S A LOT OF IT THAT'S GOOD AND NECESSARY.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT AS SOMEBODY WHO MANAGES AN INSTITUTION.
BUT WHAT I DIDN'T SEE WAS NEARLY ENOUGH ALLOCATED FOR THE PRODUCT SIDE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS VERY SPECIFIC RESOURCING OF IDNS, VERY SPECIFIC RESOURCING OF NEW GTLDS.
YOU HEARD A CALL TODAY THAT THERE IS EASY SMALL AMOUNTS, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, MONEY YOU COULD PUT ON THE TABLE TO FACILITATE THAT PROCESS.
EASY WORK AROUND DNSSEC, ET CETERA.
THOSE FALL INTO THAT PRODUCT BUCKET.
AND THOSE WILL BE THE TYPES OF PROJECTS BY WHICH THIS INSTITUTION WILL -- WILL BECOME MORE CREDIBLE, MORE APPRECIATED, MORE ACCOUNTABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT WE FEEL WE ARE CONTRIBUTING AND THE WORK AND TIME THAT EVERYBODY OUT HERE IS DOING.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WELL, IF I MAY, CHAIR -- WELL, LET'S REALLY USE THIS OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED, THE BOARD AND STAFF HAVE APPRECIATED IN THE DIALOGUE LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ABOUT TRYING TO PUT PROJECTS UP AND BEING MUCH CLEARER ABOUT THEM AND THEIR OUTCOMES, IF THE OPERATIONAL THAT ARE PRESENTLY IN THE OPERATIONAL PLAN AREN'T WEIGHTED THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING, I THINK MOUHAMET RAISES ISSUES ABOUT HIS CONCERNS ABOUT MAYBE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, THIS IS THE FIRST DRAFT UP, AND THIS IS THE SOFT FEEDBACK WE DEFINITELY WANT TO GET ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS AND REWEIGHTING.
SO LET'S GET THAT ALL DOWN.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, PAUL.
SUSAN, I THINK I HAVE YOU NEXT.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN, ELLIOT'S PASSIONATE INVOLVEMENT FOR YEARS IN ICANN HAS BEEN INSPIRATIONAL.
HE MEANS IT, HE BELIEVES IT, AND I HONOR HIM FOR IT.
THE MESSAGE HE BEGAN WITH WAS, DON'T ACT OUT OF FEAR, DON'T ACT OUT OF FEAR FOR SECURITY ISSUES OR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NIPPING AT YOUR HEELS.
IDEALISM IS OUT OF FASHION THESE DAYS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO BE IDEALISTIC TO PARTICIPATE IN ICANN.
IT SHOULD BE A PREREQUISITE.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS CREATING A NEW MODEL OF GOVERNANCE THAT SHOULD BE A SHINING EXAMPLE, A SELF-ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE STUMBLING SLIGHTLY BUT MOVING ALONG THE PATH.
AND WHAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE AFRAID OF, TRULY BE AFRAID OF, IS NOT DOING A GOOD JOB AT WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH INCLUDES BRINGING OUT NEW TLDS.
SOMEONE JUST POINTED ME TO A FOUR-YEAR-OLD DECLARATION ABOUT -- RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD ABOUT TLDS, WHICH IS TRULY FRIGHTENING.
WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH PROGRESS ALONG THIS AREA, FOCUSING ON IDNS, ENORMOUS RESOURCES ON IDNS FOR THIS YEAR AND THE YEARS COME.
AND CARRYING OUT OUR TASKS, NOT -- FAILING TO DO THAT SHOULD BE OUR FEAR, NOT THESE OTHER LURKING PROBLEMS.
THANKS, ELLIOT.
[ APPLAUSE ]

>>VINT CERF: YES, THANK YOU.
OKAY.
LET ME SEE.
VENI, IF YOU REMEMBER, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP, AND THEN ALEX.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: I AM TRYING NOT TO FORGET.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: YOU'RE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT, VENI.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE A DRINK LATER ON TONIGHT.
IF I DON'T FORGET.
I -- SOMEONE IS KEEPING HIS MOBILE PHONE ON.

>>VINT CERF: YEAH, SOMEBODY, TURN YOUR GSM OFF, PLEASE.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS IS, BUT IT'S NOT ME.
I -- YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THIS FEAR FROM THE GOVERNMENTS.
AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND.
BUT I -- AND I ALSO HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS ACTUALLY URGING ICANN TO DO ITS CORE MISSION, AS I NAME, THAT'S BASICALLY DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, AND NOT FOCUS ON ANYTHING THAT MAY BE OUTSIDE OF THIS CORE ACTIVITY.
THINKING THAT DURING THE WSIS PROCESS THERE WILL BE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL KIND OF NATURALLY FIT INTO THIS ENVIRONMENT AND WILL DEFEND OR WILL EXPLAIN, IF -- LET'S NOT USE SUCH WORDS AS "DEFEND" -- BUT WE WILL EXPLAIN TO THE GOVERNMENTS WHAT'S THE ROLE OF ICANN, WHY SELF-MANAGEMENT IS GOOD FOR THE INTERNET, FOR THE BUSINESSES, FOR THE CITIZENS, FOR EVERYONE.
HOWEVER, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND I FELT LIKE I'VE BEEN MISLEADING THE BOARD TO BELIEVE THAT WHILE WE ARE DOING OUR CORE MISSION, THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WILL DO WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY, WHICH WAS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THIS PROCESS, DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
I MEAN, THERE WERE AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE FROM MORNING TILL MIDNIGHT, WORKING HARD, PREPARING DOCUMENTS, WRITING ALTERNATIVE DECLARATIONS AND ACTION PLANS AND DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THEY DID THAT WITHOUT ANY REAL SUPPORT, WHICH I THINK THE NONGOVERNMENTAL SECTOR WAS DUE TO GIVE TO THE CIVIL SOCIETY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE FAILED.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE -- SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ICANN IS DOING NOW ARE ACTUALLY RIGHT.
YOU MAY BE RIGHT THAT THEY COULD BE NOT IN THE -- LIKE THE CORE MISSION OF ICANN AND SOMEBODY ELSE CAN DO IT.
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, AT THIS POINT, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT OR THE WRONG THING.
AND MAYBE BY THE TIME WE FIND OUT, IT WILL BE TOO LATE, YOU KNOW, TO CHANGE IT.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY A BIG FEAR AT THE MOMENT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WHICH ICANN CAN -- COULD AND PERHAPS SHOULD DO, WITHOUT, OF COURSE, CHANGING ITS FOCUS, YOU KNOW.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: I'M SORRY.
GO AHEAD.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY.
WELL, MOUHAMET, I SEE YOUR HAND, BUT, ALEX, I THINK YOU HAD THE MICROPHONE NEXT.
THE GENTLEMAN FROM MEXICO DEFERS TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM SENEGAL.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU.
ELLIOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REMINDER.
I WOULD JUST PUT SOME COMMENT JUST TO GO ON ONE POINT THAT I THINK THAT IT IS ALWAYS MISSING TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING.
I THINK THAT WE -- WE'RE TALKING IN ICANN, AND WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS CREATING INSIDE THE BOARD, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMITTEE FOR GOVERNANCE.
BUT I THINK THAT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT GOOD GOVERNANCE HERE IN ICANN, WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSSING ON THE GOOD GOVERNANCE REGARDING THE CORPORATE GOOD GOVERNANCE.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT ELLIOT HAS DESCRIBED IS MORE RELATED TO GOOD GOVERNANCE IN TERMS OF, LIKE, MONITORING PROCESS TO SEE IF WE, ICANN, ARE DOING WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND IF WE CAN CODIFY THE WAY THAT WE ARE DOING IT, AND IF WE CAN IMPROVE IT THE WAY WE ARE DOING IT.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE MORE THAN AN ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE, WE CAN SAY, A WHOLE ENVIRONMENT, A MICROCOSM.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE LIKING TO GET SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TEMPORARY, BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SURVEY, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT IS NEEDED.
I MEAN, WHAT WE NEED HERE IS NOT TEMPORARY SURVEY; IT'S A PERMANENT MONITORING PROCESS MADE BY MAYBE SOME EXTERNAL AGENT OR INTERNAL AGENT, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL LOOK AT EVERY DAY, EVERY TIME, THAT IF THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AND TO BE CONCENTRATED, WE FOCUS, WELL DONE, AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IT EVERY DAY.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE LACKING THESE INDICATORS ON OUR DAY-TO-DAY BASICS TO ALWAYS BE CONCENTRATED ON THE CORE MISSION OF ICANN.
AND I THINK THAT THIS HAS TO BE, PAUL, INCLUDED IN THE -- IN THE PILLAR OF THE ORGANIZATION, IS TO CREATE AN OBSERVATORY OF THE GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR ICANN, BUT GOOD GOVERNANCE IN TERMS OF FOCUS MORE ABOUT OUR CORE MISSION.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, MOUHAMET.
ALEX, DO YOU STILL HAVE A COMMENT?

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: YES.
FIRST, I -- THERE'S SOMETHING, AND I'M MAYBE LANGUAGE-CHALLENGED HERE BY NOT BEING A NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAKER.
BUT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PART WITH HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS AND THE MILLIONS AND THE WORD "JEOPARDY" INSIDE.
AND I HAVE LOOKED ON AN ONLINE DICTIONARY --

>>ELLIOT NOSS: IT'S A NORTH AMERICAN GAME SHOW.
AND I THOUGHT THROUGH, IS THAT TOO NARROW A CULTURAL CONFERENCE.
AND THEN I FELT LIKE SETTING IT UP RUINED THE LINE.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
IT'S A GAME SHOW WHERE THEY GIVE THE ANSWER AND THEN YOU GUESS THE QUESTION.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: OKAY.
I'LL ADMIT TO MY LIMITATIONS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE --

>>VINT CERF: ACTUALLY, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE TRIED THIS A FEW TIMES, TOO, AND BLOWN IT IN MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS.
BUT THE GOOD THING ABOUT ALEX'S QUESTION, IT SHOWS THAT HE DOESN'T WASTE HIS TIME WATCHING THESE STUPID GAME SHOWS.
ALL RIGHT.
NO IMPLICATIONS, OF COURSE, ON THE WAY YOU SPEND YOUR TIME, ELLIOT.
[ LAUGHTER ]

>>ELLIOT NOSS: IT REALLY WAS IN MY YOUTH.

>>VINT CERF: OH, OKAY.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: SO THANKS.
I THINK THAT YOUR -- I MEAN, YOUR INTERVENTIONS IN MANY OF OUR FORA ARE SOUL-SEARCHING, AND THEY SEEM TO SPARK REAL BOUTS OF SOUL-SEARCHING AND ASH-DROPPING ON OUR HEADS.
THAT'S A CULTURAL REFERENCE TO A WELL-KNOWN BOOK.
[ LAUGHTER ]

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: AND A WELL-KNOWN FORM OF MOURNING BEYOND THAT BOOK.
I THINK THAT THOSE SOUL-SEARCHING EXERCISES ARE GOOD AND WE SHOULD BE EXHAUSTIVE IN THEM.
AND THOSE WHO FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING SOME OF THE DISTRACTIONS OR THE APPARENT EXPENSES WHICH ARE NOT ON THE MAIN FUNCTION OF TECHNICAL COORDINATION, TECHNICAL COORDINATION WOULD BE IANA, SETTING UP POLICIES FOR GTLDS, WHICH IS A WAY OF ELIMINATING ARBITRARINESS IN THE TECHNICAL COORDINATION FUNCTION OF IANA AND SO FORTH.
THE ONES THAT I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP US VERY STRONGLY WITH IS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE AN INCREASING LEGAL BUDGET?
WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE AN INCREASING BUDGET SPENT OR ACTIVITY SPENT IN ARCHITECTING THE ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE AND MORE IMMUNE TO TAKEOVER, TO -- I WOULD CALL IT AN ATTACK FROM A SECURITY -- FROM AN INFORMATION SECURITY POINT OF VIEW, BUT WE'LL SAY CHALLENGES.
THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP A LOT BY WORKING ON THOSE ASPECTS, TOO.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: AND --

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: LESS LAWSUITS.
LESS EXISTENTIAL DISCUSSIONS, LESS OF THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT THE TECHNICAL COORDINATION FUNCTION WILL HELP ICANN ITSELF AND THE BOARD CONCENTRATE ON THE TECHNICAL COORDINATION FUNCTION.
THE WORK IS DONE.
THE WORK IS BEING DONE.
THE WORK IS DONE IN THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS.
THE WORK IS BROUGHT FROM THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS TO THE BOARD.
THE WORK IS ANALYZED AND BROUGHT OUT EACH PART AS IT'S DONE.
AND A LOT OF THESE DISTRACTIONS WHICH YOU WOULD TERM DISTRACTIONS ARE WELL-KNOWN COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS.
BUT WE COULD DO WITH A SLIGHTLY DIMINISHED COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THAT SENSE.

>>ELLIOT NOSS: AS SOMEBODY WHO, IN RELATION TO ICANN LITIGATION, HAS NEVER PAID A NICKEL OF PLAINTIFF'S FEES, BUT HAS INDIRECTLY PAID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEFENDANTS' FEES, I WOULD ECHO THOSE STATEMENTS.

>>VINT CERF: OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ELLIOT, AS ALWAYS.
DO WE HAVE MORE COMMENTS?
COULD I ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE, ROUGHLY, ARE QUEUED UP TO -- RAISE YOUR HANDS.
HOW MANY?
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN.
OKAY.
THAT SHOULD BE FINE.
I WILL BE PERIODICALLY ASKING PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING TO RAISE THEIR HANDS TO GET A GENERAL SENSE FOR HOW LONG IS THE QUEUE.
A REMINDER, WE NEED TO BREAK SHARPLY AT 5:45 TO ALLOW THE BOARD TO GET TO ANOTHER FUNCTION.
PLEASE GO AHEAD.

>>ANDREW MACK: I'LL BE BRIEF.
THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS ANDREW MACK.
I RUN A CONSULTING FIRM CALLED AM GLOBAL WHICH FOCUSES ON WORK IN EMERGING MARKETS, SPECIFICALLY, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA.
I HEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH, IT BREAKS DOWN IN THREE DIFFERENT AREAS: DISCUSSIONS OF PROCESS, DISCUSSIONS OF PRODUCT, AND MUCH LESS, DISCUSSIONS OF PEOPLE.
AND IF I CAN, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO RAISE MY VOICE IN SUPPORT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD WHICH STRIKE ME AS VERY DIRECTLY RELATED TO PEOPLE.
MR. ECHEBERRIA WAS TALKING ABOUT REGIONAL ACTIVITIES AND REGIONAL TEAMS, THE NEED TO HAVE REGIONAL OFFICES.
MR. DIOP WAS TALKING ABOUT HAVING A REGIONAL PRESENCE ON THE GROUND TO DEAL WITH THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EMERGING MARKETS.
AND IT STRIKES ME THAT WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW -- PHILOSOPHICALLY ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO BE LIKE AND WHAT KEEPS IT RELEVANT AND WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING OUT AND WHAT GIVES IT ITS GREATEST ABILITY TO HAVE AN IMPACT, I'D SAY THAT IF WE CAN'T DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN THE WORK THAT WE DO AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AS DIRECTLY AS POSSIBLE, THEN WE'RE MISSING OUT.
SO GIVEN THAT THE NEXT MEETING IS IN AFRICA, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO FOCUS ON AFRICA AND ON EMERGING MARKETS ISSUES IN THEIR PREPARATIONS FOR THAT AND IN THE EXECUTION OF THAT.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ONE OF THE REASONS FOR HAVING MEETINGS ALL AROUND THE WORLD IS PRECISELY THAT.
GRANT.

>>GRANT FORSYTH: THANK YOU, VINT.
GRANT FORSYTH, RECENTLY OF THE BC.
VINT, I HAVE SPOKEN ON BEHALF OF THE BC AT OUR CROSS-CONSTITUENCY MEETING, AND I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THOSE COMMENTS TO THE WHOLE BOARD HERE.
BUT I DO WISH TO PUT ON RECORD, BECAUSE THIS IS THE PUBLIC RECORD, THE BC AND OTHER CONSTITUENCIES' SERIOUS CONCERN THAT WHILE WE HAVE CONTINUED TO CONSISTENTLY RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION AND GIVE YOU OUR VIEW, IN OUR VIEW, WE HAVE BEEN IGNORED.
WHEN I MET AND GAVE THAT VIEW TO YOU IN THE CROSS-CONSTITUENCY MEETING, YOU, AND I THINK PAUL, MADE THE VERY CLEAR POINT THAT I SHOULD FEEL ASSURED THAT OUR VIEWS HAD BEEN HEARD.
OTHERS WERE THEN LATER TO OBSERVE THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAD THE WRONG VERB.
IT WAS "WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEEDED."
AND THE GNSO HAD NOT BEEN HEEDED.
AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY THE VERY SERIOUS CONCERN THAT WE SEEK TO COMMUNICATE TO THE BOARD.
YOU ALSO RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT, IN ANSWER TO THE POINT I MADE THAT THE GNSO HAD PROVIDED ADVICE TO THE BOARD WHICH THE BOARD HAD CHOSEN TO IGNORE BY WAY OF ASKING THE BOARD TO REFRAIN FROM MAKING A DECISION WITH REGARDS TO THE SETTLEMENT UNTIL SOME OF THE VERY SERIOUS POLICY ISSUES HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AS THEY WOULD AFFECT -- LIKELY TO AFFECT, ANYWAY, OTHER GTLDS, AND YOU MADE THE RESPONSE THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF HORSE RACES GOING ON HERE, AND ONE RACE, I.E., THE SETTLEMENT OF DOT COM, COULD NOT BE HELD OVER FOR ANOTHER HORSE RACE TO COMPLETE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THAT'S A VERY POOR ANALOGY.
AND CERTAINLY THE ICANN THAT I HAVE WORKED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO CHARACTERIZE AS A CHARIOT, WHERE ALL THE HORSES ARE WELL-HARNESSED TOGETHER TO SPEED THE ORGANIZATION TO A COMMONLY AGREED DESTINATION, NOT A DISPARATE HORSE RACE, WHERE ONE HORSE HAS TO COMPETE AGAINST THE OTHER.
I MAKE THESE COMMENTS, VINT, BECAUSE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'M HEARING AROUND, TYPICALLY, OVER THE DRINKS, IS THAT IF THE BOARD AND THE STAFF SET OUT TO QUESTION AND TO BELITTLE THE LEGITIMACY AND THE RELEVANCE OF THE GNSO, THEY COULD HAVE HARDLY DONE IT ANY BETTER.
AND THAT VERY MUCH CONCERNS ME AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS.
THE LAST POINT I JUST WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD, AS I DID AT THE CROSS-CONSTITUENCY, WAS TO NOTE THAT THE BC, LIKE OTHERS, HAVE NOW WRITTEN TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND AS I SAID TO YOU AT THE TIME, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH, AS A KIWI, I AND MY FELLOW INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS OF THE BC DO NOT DO LIGHTLY.
AND I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR DECISION ENFORCING, IN OUR VIEW, BEING FORCED TO WRITE TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SEEKING THEIR INTERVENTION IN THIS IS SOMETHING, ONE, WE DON'T DO LIGHTLY; AND VERY MUCH, IN OUR VIEW, UNDERMINES WHAT IT IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR.
SO I THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, GRANT.
I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THE DECISION TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE IGNORED YOUR ADVICE.
I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO EQUATE A DECISION TO ANALYZE AND CONCLUDE DIFFERENTLY FROM YOU AND TO EQUATE THAT TO IGNORING YOU.
AND THE IDEA THAT WE DIDN'T HEED YOU BECAUSE OUR CONCLUSIONS WERE DIFFERENT FROM YOURS IS AN INTERESTING CONSTRUCT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S NOT AN UNREASONABLE OUTCOME THAT SOMEONE WOULD ANALYZE AND EVALUATE ALL OF THE INPUT THAT CAME TO THE BOARD FROM ALL THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES, AND REACH A CONCLUSION DIFFERENT FROM YOURS.
NOT EVERY BOARD MEMBER CAME TO A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION THAN YOU DID.
SOME OF THEM WEREN'T IN FAVOR OF SETTLING THIS PARTICULAR MATTER.
BUT A MAJORITY OF THEM WERE.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS, EVEN IN REASONED DISCOURSE, NOT AN UNEXPECTED OUTCOME THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME TO DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS.
I'M SURE THAT THIS MUST HAVE HAPPENED IN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL LIFE FROM TIME TO TIME.
SO TO SUGGEST THAT A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION IS IGNORING ADVICE, I THINK, ISN'T ENTIRELY FAIR.
WITH REGARD TO THE HORSE RACE ANALOGY, I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT CRITICISM THAT EVERY METAPHOR IS NOT NECESSARILY VERY GOOD.
SOME OF THE POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE IN IN THE VARIOUS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOT EXECUTED AT THE SAME PACE THAT WE ANTICIPATED WHEN WE SET UP THE PDPS.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE HAD A CERTAIN SET OF ANTICIPATED MILESTONES AND RATE AT WHICH WE WOULD COMPLETE THESE VARIOUS POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THEY TAKE LONGER.
AND, IN FACT, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THEY ARE NOT PREDICTABLE AS TO HOW LONG THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE EQUATION.
THE OTHER PART OF THE EQUATION HAS TO DO WITH A POSSIBLY DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT WHAT'S POLICY AND WHAT ISN'T.
AND THE MORE I ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS ON THIS TOPIC, NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE DOT COM, BUT MORE GENERALLY THIS QUESTION OF WHAT'S POLICY AND WHAT ISN'T, I'M FINDING A LOT OF GRAY AREA OVERLAP AND THAT PEOPLE COME -- HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED POLICY.
SO IF THERE IS ANY AREA WHERE WE COULD PROBABLY WORK TOGETHER BETTER, TO TAKE YOUR CHARIOT ANALOGY, IT IS TO TRY TO REFINE MORE HOW TO DISTINGUISH WHAT SHOULD BE POLICY AND WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, LET'S SAY, A SIMPLE OPERATIONAL MATTER.
AND SO I WOULD CERTAINLY OFFER TO YOU THAT A BETTER ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH WHAT THINGS SHOULD BE POLICY OR NOT AND TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT AND TRY TO COME TO SOME REASONABLE COMPROMISE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND THAT'S AN AREA WHERE I SUSPECT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANY OTHER -- FIRST, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU WANTED TO REACT TO THAT.
AND SECOND, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS.
BUT, GRANT, IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

>>GRANT FORSYTH: IF I MAY, I'LL JUST ADDRESS PERHAPS THE LAST POINT YOU RAISE THERE.
AND THAT IS JUST TO NOTE THAT BY A LARGE MAJORITY, THE GNSO, WHO IS A POLICY COUNCIL FOR THE G SPACE, PASSED A RESOLUTION NOTING THAT IN THEIR VIEW, ASPECTS OF WHAT THEY SAW IN THE DOT COM WERE POLICY.
NOW, IF STAFF HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW, AND IF THE BOARD ARE OF A VIEW THAT STAFF ARE A BETTER VEHICLE FOR DEALING WITH POLICY, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE THAT, I THINK, IS WHERE -- WHAT WE'RE SEEING, IS THAT THROUGH CONTRACT, NEW TERMS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED WHICH, IN THE MAJORITY VIEW OF THE GNSO, ADDRESSED SIGNIFICANT POLICY AREAS.
SO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT POLICY IS ONE THAT TESTS US ALL THE TIME.
BUT MY RESPONSE IS, I THINK IT WAS WELL ANSWERED BY THE GNSO COUNCIL.
YET -- AGAIN I'LL USE THE WORD -- NOT HEEDED.

>>VINT CERF: BUT LET ME MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT END THIS CONVERSATION IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PLACE THE STAFF BETWEEN THE GNSO AND THE BOARD.
I THINK THAT IS NOT A GOOD CHARACTERIZATION, GRANT.
IT IS THE DECISION OF THE BOARD WHETHER A MATTER IS POLICY OR NOT.
AND SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE BOARD'S MAJORITY DECISION SUGGESTED THAT THAT PARTICULAR MATTER WASN'T A POLICY MATTER.
AND THAT'S A DISAGREEMENT, THEN, BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE GNSO.
BUT, PLEASE, LET'S NOT PUT THE STAFF IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
OKAY?
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS UP, SO, THANK YOU, GRANT, AS ALWAYS.
BRET FAUSETT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: THANK YOU.
I'LL APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE TO ALEJANDRO, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO SPRINKLE SOME ASHES ON MY HEAD.
SOME OF YOU KNOW ME.
I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
I'VE WORN A LOT OF HATS IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
SOME OF YOU MAY SEE ME AS A BLOGGER AND POD-CASTER, SOME OF YOU MAY THINK OF ME SIMPLY AS NOW CFIT'S LAWYER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRUTH IS, I WAS HERE AT THE FIRST ICANN MEETING IN CAMBRIDGE; AND I'M HERE AT THE MOST RECENT ONE.
AND I HAVE FOLLOWED AND PARTICIPATED IN ICANN FROM THE BEGINNING.
AND WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU NOW, THAT'S THE CAPACITY IN WHICH I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN AROUND FROM THE BEGINNING, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN AS DISAPPOINTED IN ICANN AS I AM NOW.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD; I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE STAFF OR THE SOS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ICANN, THE INSTITUTION.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT IT, AND WHERE I'M DISAPPOINTED IS, I THINK WE'VE LOST THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
I LOOK AT PRIVATE SECTOR SELF-REGULATION THAT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE PRIVATE SECTOR SELF-DEALING.
AND I WANT US TO FIND THE PUBLIC INTEREST AGAIN.
NOW, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM IS GOING TO AGREE WITH ME.
WE DO NEED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
BUT WE DON'T SEEM ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT IN A WAY THAT SATISFIES THE COMMUNITY THAT ICANN AS AN INSTITUTION, NOT THE BOARD, STAFF, SOS, BUT THE WHOLE BODY, IS MAKING DECISIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
NOW, ON THE DOT COM THING, I DON'T SEE THE PUBLIC INTEREST REPRESENTED IN THAT.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED BY THE PUBLIC THAT WERE ON THE COMMENT BOARD, SPECIFIC THINGS, I MEAN, THE BOARD ASKED, GIVE US A LIST OF CONCRETE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, AND WE DID.
AND, YOU KNOW, VINT, I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THIS IS UNFAIR, BECAUSE YOU MADE A SIMILAR COMMENT IN REGARD TO GRANT.
BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THE PUBLIC INTEREST WAS REPRESENTED IN THE APPROVAL OF THE DOT COM DEAL.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND, PERHAPS, THAT REASONABLE MINDS COULD DIFFER.
BUT I DON'T SEE THE REASONABLENESS IN THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT.
AND IF I'M WRONG IN THAT, THEN YOU HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY EXPLAINED IT TO ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.
I MEAN, AND IF -- I THINK IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, I WONDER HOW PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND ICANN A LOT LESS WELL THAN ME LOOK AT THIS AND THINK ABOUT IT.
SO THERE'S -- THERE'S AN ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION THAT IS NOT BEING EFFECTIVELY DELIVERED BY ICANN.
AGAIN, NOT THE BOARD, STAFF, SOS.
IT'S THE INSTITUTION.
WE'RE ALL PART OF ICANN.
AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THESE COMMUNICATIONS BETTER.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.
AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE DECISIONS THAT ICANN MAKES, NOT JUST ON DOT COM, BUT ON EVERYTHING, IS MEASURED AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
I MEAN, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, (INAUDIBLE) IN THE PIKE, DNAME NOW WITH THE REGISTRIES THINK THAT DNAME IS THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THEM TO TURN DOT COM INTO CHINESE AND HINDI AND EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO MEASURE THE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND NOT ALLOW THIS TO BECOME SELF-DEALING IN THE NAME OF, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL REGULATION.
I'M SPRINKLING NOW.

>>VINT CERF: NO.
DON'T GO AWAY.
I WANT TO SPRINKLE SOME MORE.
LET'S SEE.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT -- I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS PART.
SO IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE I'M LECTURING INAPPROPRIATELY, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS OF ALL OF THIS.
WE PUT THINGS OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE GOT COMMENTS BACK.
WE HAD LOTS OF COMMENTS IN VANCOUVER.
WE SUMMARIZED THOSE.
WE PUT THEM OUT TO CONFIRM THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU.
THEN WE SENT -- THE BOARD SENT THE STAFF OUT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE COMMENTS THAT CAME BACK.
NOW, HERE'S THE PART WHERE I HOPE YOU AT LEAST APPRECIATE THE SPECIFICS.
THIS IS A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN PARTIES.
THE INPUT THAT WE GOT COULDN'T SIMPLY BE TAKEN VERBATIM AND IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE THE MECHANICS OF CONTRACT ALLOW THE PARTIES TO NEGOTIATE.
TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT ALSO HAD -- OR AN ADJACENT CONTRACT, HAD ELEMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WHICH HAS A CONTRACTUAL RIGHT AND OBLIGATION TO BE ENGAGED IN THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL.
SO THIS IS REALLY THREE DIFFERENT PARTIES ALL TRYING TO COME OUT WITH SOMETHING WHICH IS COHERENT AND CONSISTENT.
AT THE END OF A NEGOTIATION, YOU HAVE COMPROMISE.
THAT'S HOW NEGOTIATIONS WORK.
AND SURELY YOU, AS AN ATTORNEY, KNOW THAT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: OH, I CAN --

>>VINT CERF: MAY I --

>>BRET FAUSETT: GO AHEAD.

>>VINT CERF: MAY I JUST SORT OF CONCLUDE BY OBSERVING THAT BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE WANTED ENDED UP IN THAT CONTRACT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT NO ONE WAS LISTENING, THAT NO ONE CARED, THAT NO ONE'S INTERESTS WERE AT STAKE.
IN THE END, IT IS A COMPROMISE.

>>BRET FAUSETT: I APPRECIATE THE PROCESS AND THAT IT WAS A NEGOTIATION AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IF VERISIGN DREW A LINE IN THE SAND AND WOULDN'T CROSS IT, THAT THAT WAS A --

>>VINT CERF: THEY -- THEY ACTUALLY MOVED AFTER -- AFTER THOSE NEW INPUTS CAME IN, THEY MOVED TO SOME EXTENT.
AND SO THERE WAS MORE -- THERE WAS AS MUCH COMPROMISE AS WE WERE ABLE TO GET.

>>BRET FAUSETT: BUT YOU COMPROMISED.
AND THE OTHER OPTION WAS NOT TO COMPROMISE AND TO FOLLOW THE EXISTING CONTRACT FOR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, IT HAD IN PLACE FOR RENEWAL AND TO FIGHT VERISIGN IN THE LITIGATION, LITIGATION WHICH YOU WERE GOING TO WIN.

>>VINT CERF: IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO WIN, BRET. IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO WIN. AND I AM CONCERNED, FRANKLY, ABOUT THE EARLIER COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MUCH FOCUS WE HAVE ON TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE AND PROVIDE SERVICE TO OUR CLIENTS, IN EFFECT, VERSUS ALL OF THE OTHER TURMOIL.
SO THERE'S A TRADEOFF TO BE DONE HERE.
I THINK I SAW SUSAN'S HAND UP. SUSAN.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANK YOU, VINT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BRET, I THINK THE REAL IMPORT OF WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DELIVER TO US IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE CONTRACT. IT REALLY IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND DANIEL AND I ARE THE NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS HERE AND I FOR ONE FULLY BELIEVE WE COULD COMMUNICATE MUCH MORE CLEARLY WHAT OUR RATIONALE ARE FOR DECISIONS, BE MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT. I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE. I'M CERTAINLY NOT GIVING UP, AND AS A BOARD, I THINK WE SHARE A CONCERN OF -- I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES HERE, BUT WE SHARE A CONCERN ABOUT MINUTES AND RATIONALES FOR OUR DECISIONS.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

>>BRET FAUSETT: LET ME WRAP THIS UP WITH SOME FEEL-GOOD HEAD SPRINKLING.
WHETHER YOU ARE RIGHT OR I AM RIGHT ABOUT THE MERITS OF .COM, I THINK WE OUGHT TO USE WHAT I AM HEARING IN THE HALLWAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER. BECAUSE FRANKLY, IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO REPRESENT THE PUBLIC INTEREST BETTER, THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT START TO LOOK LIKE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

>>VINT CERF: JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT A MULTISTAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MORE THAN JUST PUBLIC INTEREST TO REPRESENT. IS THAT A FAIR OBSERVATION, BRET?

>>BRET FAUSETT: I THINK IN AN ORGANIZATION LIKE ICANN, PUBLIC INTEREST IS THE OVERRIDING INTEREST THAT SHOULD BE REPRESENTED.

>>VINT CERF: WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A DIFFERENT MODEL.

>>BRET FAUSETT: THEN I THINK THAT YOUR DIFFERENT MODEL AND MY MODEL OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST BEING PARAMOUNT MIGHT BE EXACTLY AT THE SOURCE OF THE TENSIONS THAT WE ARE FEELING.

>>VINT CERF: SEE YOU OVER A PINOT NOIR.
OKAY. WHO IS NEXT?

>>JONATHAN ZUCK: GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS JONATHAN ZUCK, AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGY AND IT'S ICT TRADE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING MOSTLY SMALL BUSINESSES.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS IN SOME RESPECTS ECHO WHAT ELLIOT WAS TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF FOCUSING OP THE ASSOCIATION RATHER THAN THE OUTPUT.
I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES ICANN FACES IS ITS INSULAR NATURE. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE EXOTIC LOCALES ARE PICKED AROUND THE WORLD, ICANN USES ITS OWN BRAND OF VOCABULARY WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING. IT TALKS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WHEN IN REALITY IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE CLUB.
IT TALKS ABOUT BUSINESS WHEN IN REALITY, IT'S ONLY TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUSINESS: REGISTRIES AND REGISTRARS.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST, RIGHT, WITHOUT REALLY IDENTIFYING WHO THE VANGUARD OF THAT PUBLIC INTEREST IS OR WHO DEFINES WHAT, IN FACT, REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
AND WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER, INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY ASKING OURSELVES ALL THESE QUESTIONS IS TRYING TO ASK THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T IN THE CLUB WHY AREN'T THEY. RIGHT?
WHAT BUSINESS INTERESTS AREN'T REPRESENTED INSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY.
COUNTRY CODE TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS, WHY ARE THEY SO UNDERREPRESENTED?
WE HAVE A CONSTITUENCY HERE FOR CCTLDS THAT SAY THAT NO ANSWER IS THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR EVERYONE, BUT I WONDER THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE HAVE TALKED TO THE CCTLD ADMINISTRATORS OUTSIDE OF THE ICANN PROCESS, OUTSIDE OF THAT UMBRELLA, ABOUT WHY THEY HAVEN'T JOINED. WE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT IT AND SAY THAT ICANN NEEDS TO BECOME MORE INTERNATIONAL, THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE REGIONAL OFFICES, ET CETERA, AND THOSE MAY BE THE ANSWERS, BUT HAVE WE ASKED THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BECOME A PART OF THE COMMUNITY WHY THEY HAVEN'T? BECAUSE IF WE SPEAK MORE BROADLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, SPEAK MORE BROADLY ABOUT THE PUBLIC, MOST OF THEM ARE NOT REPRESENTED HERE. AND MOST OF THEM HAVE A VERY NON-TRANSPARENT VIEW OF WHAT GOES ON INSIDE OF ICANN OR THE ROLE THAT IT PLAYS IN THEIR BUSINESSES, THEIR LIVES. IS THE REASON THAT THESE OTHER TLDS ARE NOT PART OF IT BECAUSE OF THE STRONG INFLUENCE THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS? IS IT BECAUSE ICANN TAKES FIVE YEARS TO MAKE A DECISION ON REGISTRY POLICY? I!
S IT ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT IS SO INSULAR IN ITS DECISION-MAKING THAT IT HAS ITS INTERNAL ISSUES THAT IT DOESN'T CONSIDER THE BROADER PUBLIC INTEREST? WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS AND THAT MIGHT BE WORTHY OF A POLL. INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY POLLING OURSELVES, MAYBE WE SHOULD POLLING THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T PART OF THE CLUB. BECAUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO USE WORDS LIKE "COMMUNITY," IF WE ARE GOING TO USE WORDS LIKE "BUSINESS," AND IF WE ARE GOING TO USE WORDS LIKE "PUBLIC INTEREST," MAYBE WE OUGHT TO THINK OF THOSE TERMS MORE BROADLY SO THEY ARE MORE MEANINGFUL IN A WORLD CONTEXT.

>>VINT CERF: ALEX.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, I SENSE A VERY SERIOUS DISCONNECT BETWEEN MISTER -- YOUR NAME IS ZUCK?

>>JONATHAN ZUCK: ZUCK, YES.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: -- STATEMENTS AND THE EXPERIENCE I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD WITH SEVERAL OF THE COMMUNITIES MENTIONED BY HIM, IN PARTICULAR WITH THE CCTLDS. THERE IS STILL FRESH MEMORY OF THE YEAR AND A HALF WE SPENT IN WEEKLY TELECONFERENCES WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF VERY LARGE GROUP OF CCTLDS ORGANIZING THE CCNSO PLUS A NUMBER OF E-MAIL EXCHANGES AND FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS DURING THE ICANN MEETINGS AND IN ANY OTHER POSSIBLE LOCATION. WE USED WSIS AND WGIG MEETINGS AND CONSULTATIONS TO MEET WITH CCTLD MANAGERS. WE HAVE TALKED INTENSIVELY AND EXTENSIVELY TO THOSE CCTLD MANAGERS WHO HAVE NOT YET JOINED THE CCNSO FORMALLY.
THERE IS A VERY, VERY INTENSE EXCHANGE WITH THEM, WHETHER THEY BE MEMBERS OR NOT. THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES WHICH IT REALLY IS AN APPALLING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR OBSERVATION, IF NOT A DELIBERATE STATEMENT, TO PUT ASIDE ENORMOUS INTENSITY OF CONTACT THAT THERE IS WITH THE CCTLD COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE FEEDBACKS WE GET FROM THE CCTLD COMMUNITY, AND I HAVE IT FRESH IN E-MAIL FROM THIS WEEK, IS WE NEED, ICANN, TO SPEND LESS TIME ON GTLD ISSUES.
WE NEED ICANN'S ATTENTION TO BE LESS DRIVEN BY THE GTLD MARKET AND BE FREE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE CCTLD ISSUES. AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON WHAT THESE ARE.
AS FOR THE AT-LARGE COMMUNITY AND THE USERS IN GENERAL, WE HAVE FOUND OVER MANY YEARS THAT IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT LARGE NUMBERS OF INTERNET USERS TO A PARTICULAR FIELD OF WHICH ICANN IS RESPONSIBLE. THERE IS VERY SCANT INTEREST AMONG INTERNET USERS IN MANY COUNTRIES ON DOMAIN NAME POLICY, ON IP ADDRESSING. THEY ASSUME IT'S SOLVED OR BEING SOLVED. THERE IS DISQUIET. WE AS USERS OURSELVES ARE VERY DISCOMFORTED BY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE MARKET, THE MORE SPECULATIVE ASPECTS OF IT. BUT TRULY, USERS ARE HARD-PRESSED TO GET CLOSER TO THIS. AND WHAT ANNETTE MUEHLBERG SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, I HOPE YOU WERE HERE EARLIER WHILE SHE WAS SPEAKING FOR THE ALAC, WAS THAT WE IN THIS MEETING HAVE FOUND A VERY CONCRETE WAY OF MAKING THIS INTEREST IN THE JOINT WORK MUCH MORE CONCRETE.
SO I TRULY THINK THAT THERE'S A HUGE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT YOU ARE PERCEIVING.

>>JONATHAN ZUCK: I STILL THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUSINESSES, WE ARE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT REGISTRIES AND REGISTRARS, AND NOT THE BROADER COMMUNITY. THEY AREN'T INTERESTED. BUT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHY THEY AREN'T INTERESTED. BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE END UP TALKING TO OURSELVES.
I MEAN, THE CCTLD QUESTION, I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE GLIB ABOUT THAT, BUT AGAIN, THE ISSUE IS WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE JOINING THE ICANN PROCESS?

>>VINT CERF: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MAKE A SUGGESTION ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD GUESS THAT MOST OF THE USERS OF THE INTERNET, INCLUDING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, JUST WANT IT TO WORK. FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES TO WORRY ABOUT, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN USES OF THE INTERNET TO WORRY ABOUT, AND THEY EXPECT US TO MAKE SURE WE DO OUR PART TO MAKE THE INTERNET WORK.
MOST OF THEM WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT AT ALL. AND THAT'S WHY A GOOD MANY OF THEM DON'T INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN THIS.
THERE ARE A BILLION USERS OUT THERE, NOT TOO MANY OF THEM COME HERE. THERE ARE TENS OF MILLIONS OF COMPANIES. MOST OF THEM DON'T COME HERE. A LOT OF THEM USE THE INTERNET.
MY ASSUMPTION IS THE REASON THEY DON'T COME IS THAT THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: A VERY PARTICULAR AND CONCRETE QUESTION, BECAUSE, I MEAN, CONCENTRATING ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, ARE YOU A PARTICIPANT OF THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY OR DO YOU FIND ANY BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATING THERE? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EXPRESSED THROUGH THE GNSO REVIEW IN A WAY THAT COULD BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD AND QUERIED OBJECTIVELY BY THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND THEN MADE PART OF THIS VERY PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT WE WILL HAVE ABOUT IT?

>>JONATHAN ZUCK: I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS REFERENCE, BUT NO. THERE IS NOT A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATE. BUT, I MEAN, THE MAJORITY OF THE DISCUSSION OF BUSINESS IN THIS FORUM IS ABOUT THE RESELLER BUSINESS OF DOMAIN NAMES. IT'S NOT ABOUT BUSINESSES ON THE INTERNET, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, ET CETERA.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S MORE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. IT'S VERY SKEWED TO ONE PARTICULAR BUSINESS THAT WE HEAR FROM OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS OPPOSED TO A BROADER ONE. I AM GOING TO MONOPOLIZE THE MICROPHONE.

>>VINT CERF: I APOLOGIZE BUT HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE -- I SEE SOME PEOPLE IN LINE BUT ARE THERE OTHERS BESIDES THOSE IN LINE WHO WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY.
SO THIS IS -- THOSE FOUR PEOPLE ARE THE LAST ONES BECAUSE WE HAVE JUST TEN MINUTES LEFT AND THEN I REALLY DO HAVE A HARD STOP.
SO PLEASE.

>>IZUMI AIZU: JUST TO FOLLOW WHAT BRET SAID, AND THIS IS MY VERY PERSONAL VIEW, AND I AM ON THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR ALAC, BUT IT IS NOT REALLY REFLECTING ANY COMMON VIEW OF THE ALAC. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE COMMON VIEW, BUT WITH THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE ALAC, OR THE AT-LARGE, COMING SOMETIME THIS YEAR, I THINK, AND ALSO WE ARE STILL TRYING VERY HARD TO SET UP THE RALOS WITH ALS.
I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY. I DON'T HAVE THE DIRECT ALTERNATIVE IMMEDIATELY TO PROPOSE, BUT I THINK WHILE WE ARE WORKING TO COMPLETE OR IMPLEMENT THIS STRUCTURE AND HAVING MORE THAN 50 ALSS, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S MORE BURDENSOME. PERHAPS THE REGIONAL APPROACH MAY BE APPLIED VERY WELL FOR CERTAIN ISSUES BUT NOT ALL THE ISSUES THAT THE USERS ARE FACING. RATHER HAVE A MORE GLOBAL APPROACH FIRST, AND BASED ON THE ISSUES WE CAN GO INTO THE SUBREGIONAL OR REGIONAL THING.
BUT WITH THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK, YOU HAVE TO FIRST CREATE RALO; OTHERWISE, YOU ARE NOT REALLY INSIDE THE PROCESS. THAT IS VERY SORT OF TOO MUCH LAYERS. THAT'S MY SORT OF OBSERVATIONAL EXPERIENCE WHILE WORKING ON THIS.
HOW MANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FEEL LIKE YOU REPRESENT THE USERS DIRECTLY? NOT THE CORPORATE USERS BUT THE INDIVIDUAL USERS.
(HANDS RAISED.)

>>IZUMI AIZU: INTERESTING. AND HOW MANY OF US FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DIRECTLY REPRESENTING THE VOICES OF THE INDIVIDUAL USERS FROM THIS END? THERE'S A CERTAIN PERCEPTION GAP, PERHAPS.

>>VINT CERF: IZUMI, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE HEADING HERE. EVERY ONE OF US IS A USER OF THE INTERNET AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS AN OPINION ABOUT IT, SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU WANT TO HEAD WITH THIS.

>>IZUMI AIZU: THAT'S WHY. EVERYBODY IS A USER BUT NOT EVERYBODY CLAIMS YOU ARE REPRESENTING THE INDIVIDUAL USERS; RIGHT? THAT'S A SLIGHT OR BIG DIFFERENCE.

>>VINT CERF: I'D LIKE YOU TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SOMETHING IZUMI. WHEN A MEMBER SITS ON THIS BOARD, I EXPECT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER TO BE ATTENTIVE TO THE INTERESTS OF ALL OF THE CONSTITUENCIES, NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL USERS, NOT JUST THE REGISTRARS, NOT JUST THE REGISTRIES. THAT'S IMPORTANT.

>>IZUMI AIZU: AND THE TASK OF THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS TO BRING THE VOICES OF THE INDIVIDUAL USERS TO THE BOARD. RIGHT?
AND AS BRET SAID, WE TRY TO BRING SOME OF OUR VIEWPOINTS ON THE .COM SETTLEMENT. AND WE FELT THAT WE WEREN'T REALLY HEARD.
SO EITHER IT IS A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM OR REAL SORT OF A POSITION PROBLEM. IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU INTERPRET, PERHAPS.
BUT TO ME, THE CURRENT SETUP OF THE BOARD UP THERE AND THE ALAC AS ADVISORY OUTSIDE, SORT OF GIVES A GOOD EXAMPLE -- I MEAN, REASON WHY WE FEEL THIS GAP EXISTS.
THAT THE MORE WE TRY TO BRING IN THE PUBLIC OR INDIVIDUAL USERS OR THE PUBLIC INTEREST INTO THE BOARD, AND YOU GUYS HAVE TO REALLY STRUGGLE TO BALANCE WITH OTHER INTERESTS. I UNDERSTAND VERY WELL. BUT SOMEHOW, WE FELT WHILE WE TRIED TO BRING IN THESE VOICES, WE FEEL WE WEREN'T REALLY HEARD.
IN THE WSIS CONTEXT, WHERE THE MULTISTAKEHOLDERISM HAS BEEN VERY MUCH GIVEN RISE TO THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE IN GENERAL, AND I WAS THE MEMBER -- I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY CAUCUS UNDER THE WSIS CONTEXT. BUT THE CIVIL SOCIETY HAS BEEN REQUESTING EQUAL FOOTING IN THE MULTISTAKEHOLDER ARRANGEMENT.
IT HAPPENED IN THE WGIG. IT MAY HAPPEN VERY LIKELY AT THE IGF, AS MARKUS EXPLAINED THIS MORNING, EARLIER TODAY.
BUT HERE AT ICANN WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS MULTISTAKEHOLDERISM. IT IS HARD TO FIND WHAT IS EQUAL FOOTING.
AT THE CURRENT ALAC'S FRAMEWORK, WE ONLY GIVE ADVICE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AND NOMCOM, I'M GLAD NOMCOM SAID YESTERDAY THEY CONSIDERED PART OF THEIR CRITERIA IS HOW MUCH INDIVIDUAL USERS ARE BEING REPRESENTED PARTICIPATING IN THE BOARD. BUT STILL, THERE IS STILL A PERCEPTIONAL GAP.
SO I WILL TRY TO CONCLUDE, BUT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT TIMING THAT WE RECONSIDER IF THIS CURRENT SETUP OF THE AT LARGE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE WAY TO REFLECT THE INDIVIDUAL USERS' INTEREST INTO THE ICANN'S PDP. THERE COULD BE SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES PERHAPS WE CAN DISCUSS DURING THE COURSE OF INDEPENDENT REVIEW AND IN THE WAKE OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE AND INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, IZUMI. I THINK WE HAVE ANNETTE COMING, ALSO AND MAYBE SHE HAS IDEAS OF WAYS FOR THE ALAC STRUCTURE TO GET BETTER INPUT FROM THE USER VIEW.

>>RICK ANDERSON: GOOD AFTERNOON, RICK ANDERSON FROM CANADA. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER AN ALTERNATE THEORY ON WHY IT MIGHT BE THAT ATTENDANCE OR PARTICIPATION IN THESE DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS ISN'T ALL THAT WE ALL MIGHT WISH IT TO BE.
I HAVE BEEN, SINCE I BECAME INVOLVED WITH ICANN A FEW YEARS AGO, QUITE INSPIRED BY THE BOTTOM-UP, MULTISTAKEHOLDER CONSTITUENCY MODEL. BUT DURING THAT TIME AS I HAVE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD GOING TO THESE MEETINGS I HAVE LISTENED TO PEOPLE EXPRESS A VERY STRONG SENSE THAT IT DOES NOT SERVE THE COMMUNITY INTEREST OR THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO HAVE ANY DOMINANT, ANY SINGLE COMMERCIAL ENTITY, BECOME A DOMINANT FORCE -- SUCH A DOMINANT FORCE IN THE INTERNET SPACE.
AND YET, I THINK MANY OF US ARE PUZZLED AS TO HOW THAT STRONG CONSENSUS, THOSE STRONG FEELINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HE CAN PRESSED IN MANY CONSTITUENCIES, GNSO IN MANY MEETINGS AND SO ON, CAN BE -- I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, MR. CHAIRMAN -- HEARD BY THE BOARD AND EVEN HEEDED BY THE BOARD, AND YET THE BOARD HAS SUCH A DIFFERENT VIEW AT THE END OF THE DAY AS TO HOW THINGS SHOULD BE DEVELOPING.
AND I GUESS I SHOULD SUBMIT THAT MAYBE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THERE ARE NOT MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THESE SESSIONS IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WONDERING IF, IN FACT, THE MODEL WORKS.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.
ANNETTE.

>>ANNETTE MUEHLBERG: WELL, AS ALEJANDRO POINTED OUT, THAT WE WANT TO HAVE JOINT WORK ON CONCRETE ISSUES. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS JOINT WORK WILL ONLY BE ON THE PRINCIPLE OF PUBLIC INTEREST. AND THIS REALLY HAS TO BE CLEAR FOR US. OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T TAKE PART IN THAT SORT OF JOINT WORK.
AND REFERRING TO VINT'S QUESTION, I THINK A TRANSPARENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US, AND FOR ALL OF US HERE.
AND TALK -- WHAT IZUMI SAID, I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT THE LAST MEETING YESTERDAY WITH YOU, IS THAT YOU ALREADY PROPSED THAT WE SHOULD EXPLORE MORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK TO MAKE END USER'S VOICE HEARD IN ICANN AND WITH YOU, AT THE BOARD.
SO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE MORE, BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE ALSO A SIGN, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU ARE REALLY WILLING TO EXPLORE THESE DIFFERENT WAYS OF OUTREACH, THESE DIFFERENT WAYS OF GETTING INFORMATION. AND IT HAS TO BE CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT JUST DOING THIS TO SAY HI AND WE WANT TO HAVE A SURVEY AND MAYBE NOW WE EVEN GET FINANCING BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THIS HUGE BUDGET FROM VERISIGN.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE MORE MONEY. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS BRING OUR FRIENDS TO A NICE PROJECT. WE WANT TO SHOW OUR FRIENDS THAT THEY HAVE AN IMPACT WITH WHAT THEY ARE WORKING ON.
THIS IS THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART.
THANK YOU.

>>VINT CERF: BEFORE YOU GO AWAY, ANNETTE, I WAS THE ONE WHO PROPOSED ALTERNATE WAYS OF GETTING BROADER INPUT FROM THE REGULAR USERS OF THE INTERNET. BUT I THINK ALSO IN THE COURSE OF THAT DISCUSSION WE TALKED ABOUT THE TWO-WAY POTENTIAL OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE OUTWARD TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL AS GETTING INPUT BACK FROM THEM.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT DOESN'T GET LOST IN THE FURTHER EVOLUTION OF ALAC, SO THAT WE CAN SEE THIS IS A TWO-WAY PATH.

>>ANNETTE MUEHLBERG: ALL RIGHT.

>>VINT CERF: CHUCK.

>>CHUCK GOMES: I WILL BE VERY BRIEF BECAUSE I KNOW THE TIME IS UP.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE .COM SETTLEMENT. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT HAS BEEN DONE. AND IT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF. THE REGISTRY CONSTITUENCY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BEEN, SINCE THE VERY FIRST BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS FORMED, ADVOCATING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND A BUDGET THAT ALLOWS US TO TRACK PRIORITIES, AND I COMPLIMENT THE ENTIRE ICANN COMMUNITY, USING BRET'S BROAD DEFINITION, FOR THE PERSISTENCE AND FOR THE WORK OF EVERYONE THAT CREATED THIS FIRST VERSION OF THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, WHICH I THINK IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHUCK.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL COMMENT, WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL MAKE BRIEFLY.

>>KUO-WEI WU: I HOPE SO.
I TRY MY BEST.
AND I THINK I JUST WANT TO ADD SOME COMMENTS TO IZUMI'S TALK.
I PARTICIPATED IN THE ALAC, AND ALS MEMBER, AND ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE ALAC MANY -- ABOUT TWO YEARS.
AND WHAT I REALLY FIND A PROBLEM IS, FOR THE WHOLE ALAC PROCESS, THE -- ONLY TWO THINGS HAPPENED.
THE ONE THING, WE JUST HAVE A WEB SITE ALLOW THE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE TO APPLY FOR THE ALS MEMBER.
BUT ONCE WE GET THE ALS MEMBER TO BE CERTIFIED BY THE ALAC OR BY ICANN, NOTHING ELSE.
BECAUSE WE LOSE THE CONTENT.
WE REALLY LOSE THE CONTENT HOW THE ALS CAN BE TALKED THROUGH THE ALAC MEMBER.
AND SECOND OF ALL, I THINK THAT ANOTHER ISSUE, I DON'T KNOW HOW SOON OR HOW FAR THE BOARD WILL BE REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW LONG THE ALAC IT WILL BE REVIEWING THE PROCESS OR THE STRUCTURE IS WORKABLE OR NOT.
BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT HOW LONG THE ALAC, THE RALO WE EXPECT THEM TO DO, IT'S MORE THAN TWO OR THREE YEARS AND STILL NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.
AND I WAS ONE WHO TRIED TO PUSH THE ASIA-PACIFIC RALO TO PERFORM.
I SPENT ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF AND DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYTHING.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING NOW.
AND IN SUCH CASE, AS WE KNOW, THE ALAC MEMBER TO SERVE THE MEMBER WAS INTERIM.
AND CAN YOU TELL ME HOW LONG THE INTERIM MEMBER WILL KEEP GOING?
FOREVER?
FIVE YEARS?
SIX YEARS?
OR FOREVER?
I REALLY CONFUSED.

>>VINT CERF: I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE YOU A PRECISE ANSWER.
BUT SINCE THE ALAC DOES HAVE TO HAVE A REVIEW, AFTER THAT REVIEW, A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE WHETHER THE ALAC IS FUNCTIONING ADEQUATELY OR NOT.
AND SO THAT WILL HAPPEN SOMETIME IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.

>>KUO-WEI WU: YEAH, BUT --

>>VINT CERF: SO IF THE ANSWER IS IT'S NOT WORKING RIGHT, WE CLEARLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

>>KUO-WEI WU: IF YOU LOOK AT THE INTERIM ALAC MEMBER, HOW LONG THE INTERIM ALAC MEMBER IS THERE ALREADY.
IT'S MORE THAN THREE YEARS.

>>VINT CERF: DO YOU HAVE A -- IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT THAT?
DO YOU WANT TO --

>>KUO-WEI WU: WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO REVIEW THE WHOLE STRUCTURE OR AT LEAST THE ALAC -- ALAC, AT-LARGE AUTHORITY IS RIGHT WAY OR JUST --

>>VINT CERF: WE DO AGREE WITH THAT.
AND THERE IS A REVIEW COMING.
OKAY.
SO THANK YOU, ALL.
I THINK WE NEED TO CLOSE NOW.
THE BOARD NEEDS TO GET READY TO GO OFF TO THIS NEXT FUNCTION.
FORM WE'RE STARTING AT 9:00 IN THIS ROOM.
AND WE WILL -- WE HAVE A LOT TO GO THROUGH TOMORROW.
SO I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE YOUR TIME TONIGHT TO RELAX AND ENJOY SOME OF THE WINES OF THIS WONDERFUL CITY.
AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT 9:00 TOMORROW MORNING.

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: THANKS.
(5:58 P.M.)