<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<!-- Template generated by Exclaimer Mail Disclaimers on 08:40:59 Wednesday, 20 January 2016 -->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<style type="text/css">P.f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6e {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt
}
LI.f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6e {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt
}
DIV.f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6e {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt
}
TABLE.f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6eTable {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt
}
DIV.Section1 {
page: Section1
}
</style>
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.59b759a3-ab1f-4afe-a103-b432f0192d76, li.59b759a3-ab1f-4afe-a103-b432f0192d76, div.59b759a3-ab1f-4afe-a103-b432f0192d76
{mso-style-name:59b759a3-ab1f-4afe-a103-b432f0192d76;
mso-style-priority:99;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.TextedebullesCar
{mso-style-name:"Texte de bulles Car";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Texte de bulles";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.Textedebulles, li.Textedebulles, div.Textedebulles
{mso-style-name:"Texte de bulles";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Texte de bulles Car";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle26
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle27
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle28
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle29
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle30
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<p class="f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6e"></p>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Dear CCWG-ACCT Co-Chairs, Members, Participants and ICANN Staff,
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">We had a good discussion with ICANN lawyers (Sam and John) and with Kevin Espinola of Jones Day today as was certified to us regarding the Board’s
understanding of the Human Rights language that we had proposed (set forth below). As we now understand the Board’s concern, while the language we proposed would not create any additional responsibilities beyond what currently exists in applicable law,
providing a Human Rights commitment in the Bylaws opens the range of human rights topics to IRP challenge where Board action or inaction is perceived by someone to be out of line with human rights obligations under applicable law. Without benefit of the
further definition around the scope of ICANN’s human rights obligations (the Framework for Interpretation) planned for Work Stream 2, in the interim there could be a slew of IRP challenges that have little actual merit from a legal perspective, placing the
IRP panel (which may be comprised of persons without significant human rights law understanding) in a position of arbitrating a wide range of issues that may be driven by divergent interests that have little relevance to ICANN. This could result in a significant
use of ICANN time and attention and scarce IRP resources with little actual added value in holding ICANN accountable. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">This is a legitimate concern. One solution that is in line with the discussion around options from the last CCWG call is to assure that the
IRP process is not available until the Work Stream 2 effort to further articulate the human rights Framework for Interpretation is finished.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The CCWG may wish to consider including in the Bylaws something along the following lines (the language in
<b><span style="color:#C00000">red</span></b> is new; the language in black is essentially what we had proposed originally) :
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Within its Mission and in its operations, ICANN will respect</span></i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">
<i>internationally recognized Human Rights. This commitment shall not</i> <i>in any way create an obligation for ICANN, or any entity having a</i>
<i>relationship with ICANN, to protect or enforce Human Rights beyond</i> <i>what may be required by applicable law. In particular, this does not</i>
<i>create any additional obligation for ICANN to respond to or consider</i> <i>any complaint, request, or demand seeking the enforcement of</i>
<i>Human Rights by ICANN. <b><span style="color:#C00000">This Bylaw provision </span>
</b></i><b><span style="color:#C00000">is not a valid basis for, and shall not give rise to, any IRP<i> process</i>
<i>until a Framework of Interpretation is developed as part of “Work Stream 2” by the CCWG-Accountability or another Cross Community Working Group chartered for such</i>
<i>purpose by one or more Supporting Organizations or Advisory Committees. </i><i>I</i></span></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#C00000">CANN shall support the establishment and work of such a Group to
facilitate development of the Framework of Interpretation as promptly as possible.</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#C00000"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#C00000"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Note that if the CCWG decides to move in this direction, Annex 12 (Work Stream 2) should include a reference to the commitment in the last sentence.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Kind regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Holly and Rosemary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.5in"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">HOLLY J. GREGORY</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
Partner and Co-Chair<br>
Global Corporate Governance & Executive Compensation Practice<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Sidley Austin LLP<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">+1 212 839 5853<br>
<a href="mailto:holly.gregory@sidley.com" title="Click to send email to Gregory, Holly">holly.gregory@sidley.com</a></span><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:2.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left:2.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<p></p>
<p class="f85eb409-fef9-4230-a582-d02cd111ec6e"> </p>
<p>****************************************************************************************************<br>
This e-mail is sent by a law firm and may contain information that is privileged or confidential.<br>
If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us<br>
immediately.<br>
<br>
****************************************************************************************************</p>
</body>
</html>