<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Hello,<div><br></div><div>On behalf of the Registrar Stakeholder Group (RrSG), I’d like to submit the following comment on the ‘Proposed Incremental Changes to the ICANN Meetings Strategy’:</div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The RrSG takes this opportunity to comment upon some of the proposals contained in the Proposed Incremental Changes to the ICANN Meetings Strategy.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A majority of members of the RrSG has attended these meetings at various times. The RrSG considers that some of the Group’s concerns may not have been adequately dealt with in the recommendations of the Meeting Strategy Working Group (MSWG). We have two points to make:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Duration of meetings<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Given ICANN’s budgetary concerns, it seems appropriate to reduce the total number of days spent in meetings. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 12px;">A 7 day meeting effectively becomes 9 days, as it’ll usually involve a day of travel on either side. In addition there are often add on meetings held prior to the main meeting. Under labour law in many jurisdictions this is highly problematic as we cannot oblige employees to work for more than 7 days consecutively. Having such long meetings also often necessitates people having the miss days, leaving those with greater resource (such as larger companies and lobbyists) being more likely to actually be able to attend the full meeting. </span><span lang="EN-US">Accordingly, a seven day-long annual general meeting could be reduced, at least to six days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">The Annual General Meeting (AGM)</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Further thought should be given to the use of day seven of the AGM. Time spent in face to face meetings is precious to have and expensive for all parties to procure. If the seventh day is to be retained, more thought should be given to how that day is to be used effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><span lang="EN-US"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US">Kind regards,</span></div><div><span lang="EN-US"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US">Zoe Bonython</span></div><div><span lang="EN-US">RrSG Secretariat</span></div></body></html>