| Response to draft ICANN Board
resolution proposed by the ALSC, October
31, 2001.
October 31,
2001
The gTLD Registry
Constituency commends the At Large Study Committee for its hard work and
thoughtful analysis of a complex issue. We generally support the ALSC's
call for full, proportionate, informed participation by users in the ICANN
process and the other recommendations made by the ALSC.
The gTLD RC does not
agree, however, that the recommendations of the ALSC should be acted upon
by the ICANN Board independently from resolution of many other pending
issues regarding restructuring, including the ccTLD request for creation
of a new Supporting Organization, the need to preserve a level playing
field for competition among registries addressing the global marketplace,
suggestions for restructuring of the GA and DNSO, and proposals for
adoption of more definitive guidelines limiting the permissible subject
matters for ICANN policymaking and establishing the consensus policy
process leading to and legitimizing such policies. All of these efforts
must be coordinated and should not proceed independently.
It would be far more
disruptive to ICANN for it to undergo sequential reorganizations than it
would be for it to achieve a comprehensive restructuring based on widely
shared views regarding the role of the Board, the nature and scope of the
policy-making process, and the overall allocation of board seats among
various interested and affected groups.
The gTLD Registry
Constituency has published a proposal regarding restructuring and is
undertaking consultations with other constituencies to attempt to generate
consensus. The nature and extent of representation of end users or
registrants on the ICANN Board is inextricably intertwined with questions
regarding the nature and extent of representation of registries (and
registrars) -- as well as with questions regarding the limitations on the
subject matters as to which ICANN policies may bind those under contract
with ICANN and the need to assure that a genuine and documented consensus
process is used to produce those policies.
The gTLD Registry
Constituency supports the ALSC's desire for rapid action with respect to
its proposals. We understand that the ALSC was not itself the appropriate
forum for resolution of broader restructuring issues. We believe the
broader issues can and should be addressed and resolved promptly and,
indeed, that appropriate resolution of those issues will lead to an
overall consensus that will support many of the ALSC's
recommendations.
We are ready to do our
part to help implement those proposals that are ultimately adopted as part
of a comprehensive restructuring initiative. And we call on all other
constituencies promptly to engage in efforts to reach broad consensus
regarding the issues raised in our own restructuring proposal.
|