[council] Proposed bylaws change on term limits for GNSO Council members - open for public comment

[Liz Gasster]

All,

As you may know, in November 2006, the GNSO Council passed a resolution endorsing term limits, wherein a council member could serve no more than two consecutive terms (http://gnso.icann.org/resolutions/#200611 ).  The resolution also stated that a former council member must remain off the GNSO Council for one full term prior to serving any subsequent term.

The ICANN Board Governance Committee  subsequently included term limits as a recommendation in the GNSO Improvements Report (http://www.icann.org/en/topics/gnso-improvements/gnso-improvements-report-03feb08.pdf, see Sec. 5.1, p. 28) The Report recommends that the preferred limit be two 2-year terms, in order to enhance inclusiveness and enable more people to become involved in Council activities.

Following is a link to the announcement and public comment notice for a forum that has just opened on this proposed change, prior to final Board action, which includes proposed new bylaws text:  http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13oct08-en.htm, and http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/#gnso-bylaw-revision .  The draft bylaws change also creates an exception, as recommended previously by the GNSO Council and the Board Governance Committee, in a "special circumstance," such as geographic diversity requirements, where no alternative representative is available to serve.  Please note also that because the GNSO Council, constituencies and ICANN staff are working to implement a new structure for constituency representation and voting for the GNSO Council, comments are particularly invited on whether the pending reorganization presents issues for the implementation of term limits that should be considered before term limits are adopted, including any other aspects of the new structure, such as the creation of stakeholder groups or the formation of new constituencies. ICANN also invites comments on when term limits should go into effect. The comment period is open until 3 November.

Thanks, Liz




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