2002-06-28 - Evolution and Reform

Whereas, Stuart Lynn's "President's Report: The Case for Reform," thoughtfully laid out the need for constructive change in ICANN structure and processes, and initiated a very productive dialog throughout the ICANN community;

Whereas, the Board accepted the President's Report as a timely and important call to action, and then established a Board Evolution and Reform Committee (ERC) to manage the process of receiving and evaluating community input on these and related issues;

Whereas, the ERC has since undertaken an intense process of outreach, consultation, and analysis of suggestions from throughout the community on how ICANN's structure and processes can be reformed to improve its effectiveness while preserving its essential character as an open and transparent non-governmental policy development body;

Whereas, the ERC established various mechanisms for receipt of input from the ICANN community and the global public interested in these issues, received and considered a very large number of comments and suggestions related to these issues, and periodically published Working Papers on ICANN Mission and Core Values, ICANN Structure and the Nominating Committee Concept, and the ICANN Policy Development Process, along with other documents identifying possible alternative solutions to the identified issues and seeking further community input on increasingly specific and detailed proposals for reform;

Whereas, the ERC most recently published its Blueprint for Reform, summarizing its work to date and making specific recommendations for Board action that would create a roadmap for moving forward in the reform process;

Whereas, the ERC Blueprint offers specific recommendations with respect to a statement of ICANN's Mission and Core Values, its organization and structure, the composition and selection of its Board, improvements in ICANN's policy development process, various measures to improve accountability of ICANN's structures and procedures, and the need for funding adequate to carry out ICANN's mission;

Whereas, the public participation of the audience and Board members in the open forum of the ICANN Board that took place during its meeting in Bucharest, Romania, on 27 June 2002, provided additional input and feedback on the proposals contained in the Blueprint;

Whereas, it is now time to move forward with implementation with confidence that while the Blueprint may not satisfy everyone, it provides the right foundation on which ICANN can build for the future;

Therefore, it is resolved [02.75] that the Board adopts and endorses the ERC Blueprint for Reform, and the broad outlines of ICANN structural and procedural reform that it contains;

Further resolved [02.76] that the ERC is directed to oversee further detailed implementation and transition work based on the Blueprint for Reform, with the continued involvement and participation of the ICANN community, to report to the Board at its next telephonic meeting as to its progress and schedule, and to provide its implementation recommendations to the Board and the community sufficiently prior to the Shanghai meeting so that the Board can take action at that meeting;

Further resolved [02.77] that the President is directed to provide all appropriate assistance and resources to the ERC and any transition teams or mechanisms that it creates to assist it in the transition process;

Further resolved [02.78] that the Board takes note of the importance to the community, as expressed throughout this reform process and in the Public Forum discussion at the Bucharest meeting, of the following issues, and instructs the ERC to take due account of these issues as it moves forward in the implementation process, namely, the need to:

• devise and incorporate specific measures to ensure, to the extent feasible, geographic and cultural diversity in all parts of ICANN structure, which have been key core values of ICANN since its inception, and remain so today, as expressed in the ERC Blueprint for Reform;
• consider the creation of an At Large Advisory Committee as a potential vehicle for informed participation in ICANN by the broad user community;
• ensure that the composition and operation of the Nominating Committee in fact represents a balance among all segments of the Internet community;
• collaborate with critical infrastructure providers and the technical community to further the establishment of effective working relationships; and
• ensure that ICANN's policy development processes enhance and promote a transparent bottom-up process.

Further resolved [02.79] that any further opportunities for strengthening ICANN's capacity to fulfill its mission that develop or are identified during the implementation process should be carefully reviewed and utilized as appropriate;

Further resolved [02.80] that the Board takes note of all the many different viewpoints that have characterized a very constructive dialog since the President issued his Report, and extends its deep appreciation to all the many members of the ICANN community that cared enough about ICANN to participate in an extraordinarily thoughtful and serious undertaking. The Board notes with deep gratitude all the countless hours of volunteer time selflessly devoted to this process.