[bc-gnso] ICANN Eliminates Board Meetings at ICANN Meetings

Tue May 1 15:53:09 UTC 2012

All ICANN constituencies and working groups regularly produce mp3 recordings of their proceedings. When there's a confidential matter they turn off the recording.

Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal
Virtualaw LLC
1155 F Street, NW
Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20004
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Twitter: @VlawDC

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

From: Michael D. Palage [mailto:michael at palage.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:16 AM
To: Phil Corwin; 'bc - GNSO list'
Subject: RE: [bc-gnso] ICANN Eliminates Board Meetings at ICANN Meetings

Phil/ Marilyn,

Been there, requested that.  The problem with the MP3 recordings is redacting them in a timely fashion.  A written transcript strikes the proper balance, and is totally consistent with that they have done in connection with their historical  Board meetings held at regional meetings.   This is an issue I pushed hard during my tenure on the Board.  I used to ask the Board and the General Counsel to explain the different treatment of transcriptions for one set of meetings and no transcription for another set of meetings, no one could give me a straight answer.  You know as an attorney that is always a good sign for your client/cause.

I think asking for MP3 is overreach and would just be blown off.  Asking for a consistent standard based on 10 years of precedent is a much stronger statement.

We have a narrow window in which to act, I think the community getting behind one standard and requesting action is the best option.

Marilyn, at least one Board member has indicated that the Board did engage in consultation with the ACs and SOs.  Could either you or any of the other elected BC reps share in this consultation/outreach that was undertaken.  I do not recall this ever being shared/discussed with the full membership.

Best regards,

Michael

From: Phil Corwin [mailto:psc at vlaw-dc.com]<mailto:[mailto:psc at vlaw-dc.com]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 10:54 AM
To: Michael D. Palage; 'bc - GNSO list'
Subject: RE: [bc-gnso] ICANN Eliminates Board Meetings at ICANN Meetings

Mike:

I understand that some issues have to be discussed in private. But if the starting point was that all Board meetings were virtually open and closure was an exception it shouldn't be a big issue to structure meetings so that matters held in confidence were dealt with at the beginning or end of each meeting.

Instead the new default position is that all Board meetings take place behind closed doors and no transcripts are made available, just condensed "minutes". This is not transparency.

Fully agree that full transcripts with appropriate redactions should be made available - but I'd raise you one and also ask that mp3 recordings be made available, because that would best capture what really went on. And, yes, those three closed door meetings that took place in San Jose should have been open to public review - sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Best, Philip

Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal
Virtualaw LLC
1155 F Street, NW
Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20004
202-559-8597/Direct
202-559-8750/Fax
202-255-6172/cell

Twitter: @VlawDC

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

From: owner-bc-gnso at icann.org<mailto:owner-bc-gnso at icann.org> [mailto:owner-bc-gnso at icann.org]<mailto:[mailto:owner-bc-gnso at icann.org]> On Behalf Of Michael D. Palage
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 10:26 AM
To: 'bc - GNSO list'
Subject: RE: [bc-gnso] ICANN Eliminates Board Meetings at ICANN Meetings

Phil,

Having served on the ICANN Board this is not really an option given that there are some materials that cannot be discussed in public (real time).

I believe there is a much easier and transparent solution, require the publication of all transcripts and all supporting documentation with appropriate redactions by ICANN within 72 hours of the meeting.

We should be asking ourselves the following questions.  There were four board meeting held in Costa Rica, why are the transcripts from only one of those meetings now available?

Two of the other meetings held discussed conflicts of interests and the selection of gTLD providers.  Would anyone that attended the Costa Rica would have like to sit in on those meetings as oppose to the joke of a public meeting held on Friday?

Best regards,

Michael

P.S. Here are the four Board meetings that were held in Costa Rica:

March 14th (http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-2-14mar12-en.htm) and (http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-14mar12-en.htm)  , one on March 15th (http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-15mar12-en.htm) and the ten minute joke of a meeting on March 16th (http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-16mar12-en.htm).

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