[CCWG-ACCT] Concept of some form of "independent" member

Bruce Tonkin Bruce.Tonkin at melbourneit.com.au
Fri Jul 17 08:03:07 UTC 2015


Hello All,

[Disclaimer: the following is a personal view, and not the view of the Board or any other Board member).

During the discussion today on the three models - Empowered SO/AC membership model, Empowered SO/AC Designator Model, Community Mechanism as sole member model.

I noted that one of the ideas we used in the new gTLD program was the concept of an "Independent Objector".     The independent objector does not act on behalf of any particular person or entities but acts solely in the best interests of the public.

>From my perspective the bylaws should "empower" the community as have been proposed by the CCWG.

My intervention is purely about an enforcement last resort.

The group is considering using a panel of independent people (IRP panel) to determine whether the Board has followed the bylaws.   The group is also considering making the decisions of this panel to be binding.

I have heard there is a  concern that the Board may not follow the result of an IRP.   Thus the proposal is some form of formal member would then be able to take ICANN to court meet its bylaws requirements around the IRP.   There are lots of discussions about how to somehow turn the SO/ACs into members to be able to have legal enforcement powers.

My suggestion was simply to create another form of "independent" person  that would have legal standing and would be a member.   That independent person could then take legal action against ICANN if it didn't follow the decision of the IRP where it is clearly not in the global public interest.   The independent person would be able to take submissions from the SOs and ACs and any member of the public in making their decision.  It is not dependent on simply those that are members of an SO and AC being able to get their SO/AC to take action through one of the proposed models, but could take into account any member of the public (including ccTLD managers that are not members of the ccNSO).

Regards,

Bruce Tonkin
(personal comment)


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