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Thanks for submitting <span>Keith</span></div>
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<div id="from"><b>From:</b>kdrazek@verisign.com</div>
<div id="sent"><b>Sent:</b>February 27, 2016 3:05 PM</div>
<div id="to"><b>To:</b>accountability-cross-community@icann.org</div>
<div id="subject"><b>Subject:</b>[CCWG-ACCT] Request for Clarification on Threshold Issue</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Hi Thomas, Mathieu and Leon. I’m submitting the following on behalf of the undersigned members/participants from the GNSO:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">---------------------------------------------</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Dear CCWG-Accountability Chairs,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">We are very concerned with the response of the Board to the request for clarification regarding the need to adjust the thresholds for the Empowered Community
to exercise its powers if the number of decisional participants is less than 5 SOACs. Currently the text in Annex 1 and 2 regarding this possibility is ambiguous:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in; text-indent:2.25pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">“The thresholds presented in this document were determined based on this assessment. If fewer than five of ICANN’s
SOs and ACs agree to be decisional Participants, these thresholds for consensus support may be adjusted. Thresholds may also have to be adjusted if ICANN changes to have more SOs or ACs.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">In our view, there is no question that the thresholds
<i>must</i> be adjusted if there are fewer than five decisional participants. We have acknowledged repeatedly and operated under the assumption that there should not be a requirement of unanimous support for the Empowered Community to exercise its powers. Yet,
if there are less than five decisional participants, unless the thresholds are adjusted it would require unanimous support for the Empowered Community to:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Symbol; color:#1F497D"><span style="">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Reject a proposed Operating Plan/Strategic Plan/Budget;</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Symbol; color:#1F497D"><span style="">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Recall the entire Board of Directors; and</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Symbol; color:#1F497D"><span style="">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Reject an ICANN Board decision relating to reviews of IANA functions, including the triggering of any PTI separation process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">These powers are central to ensuring that ICANN remains accountable to the Empowered Community. This matter is too critical to the primary purpose of the
CCWG-Accountability proposal to remain unclear. As the Board has noted in its own formal comments, “Leaving this issue for future consideration raises the potential for renegotiation of the community thresholds. This potential for renegotiation adds a level
of instability and a lack of predictability.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Although it has a superficial resemblance to the recent debate over thresholds in the GAC carve-out, we believe it is fundamentally different. There is a
great distinction between an SO or AC <b><i>choosing</i></b> to not participate, and an SO or AC being
<b><i>blocked</i></b> from participation in a specific instance, as was the case in the case of the GAC carve-out. We were willing to accept a unanimous threshold for Board recall in the unique circumstances of the GAC carve-out, where the GAC was blocked from
participation, but we believe firmly that if any SO or AC <b><i>elects</i></b>, whether through a conscious decision or an inability to decide, to not participate, then the non-unanimity principle must be upheld.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">However, as we saw with the debate over the thresholds in the GAC carve-out, this could be a contentious issue. It is far better to resolve this matter now
(and during the drafting of bylaws), prior to the official transfer of the proposal to NTIA, than to delay it when it could have significant negative ramifications on the transition through a failure to resolve it during the implementation phase.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Therefore, we respectfully request that the current text in Annex 1 and Annex 2 be edited to replace “may” with “shall” and add an additional explanatory
clause:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">“The thresholds presented in this document were determined based on this assessment. If fewer than five of ICANN’s SOs and ACs agree
to be decisional Participants, these thresholds for consensus support </span><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:red">shall</span></i></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:red">
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">be adjusted
</span><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:red">to prevent the need for unanimous support among the decisional Participants to exercise any of the seven Community powers</span></i></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">.
Thresholds may also have to be adjusted if ICANN changes to have more SOs or ACs.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Signed,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Phil Corwin</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Steve DelBianco</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Keith Drazek</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">James Gannon</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Robin Gross</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Ed Morris</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Brett Schaefer</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Greg Shatan</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D">Matthew Shears</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> </span></p>
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