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Draft for Public Comment

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Date

Proposed Criteria and Accreditation Process for At-Large Structures, and
Proposed Guidelines for
Regional At-Large Organizations' (RALOs) Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with ICANN
Draft for Public Comment
21 May 2003

Underpinning the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) will be a network of
self-organizing, self-supporting At-Large Structures throughout the world
involving individual Internet users at the local or issue level. The
At-Large Structures (either existing organizations or newly formed for this
purpose) will self-organize into five Regional At-Large Organizations (one
in each ICANN region - Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin
America/Caribbean, and North America). The Regional At-Large Organizations
will manage outreach and public involvement and will be the main forum and
coordination point in each region for public input to ICANN.

Public input is requested on the following draft criteria and accreditation
process for self-forming At-Large Structures (which will eventually organize
RALOs), and for the draft guidelines for a RALO MOU. Please send comments to
forum@alac.icann.org (comments will be publicly posted). Additional
information on the ALAC is available at <http://alac.icann.org>.

Proposed minimum criteria for an At-Large Structure (ALS):

  1. Commit to supporting individual Internet users informed participation
    in ICANN by distributing to individual constituents/members information on
    relevant ICANN activities and issues, offering Internet-based mechanisms
    that enable discussions of one or more of these activities and issues among
    individual constituents/members, and involving individual
    constituents/members in relevant ICANN policy development, discussions and
    decisions.
  2. Be constituted so that participation by individual Internet users who
    are citizens or residents of countries within the Geographic Region in which
    the ALS is based will predominate in the ALS' operation. The ALS may permit
    additional participation by others that is compatible with the interests of
    the individual Internet users within the region.
  3. Be self-supporting (not rely on ICANN for funding).
  4. Post on the Internet (on the ALAC's website or elsewhere)
    publicly-accessible, current information about the ALS's goals, structure,
    description of constituent group(s)/membership, working mechanisms,
    leadership, and contact(s).
  5. Assist the RALO in performing its function.
    Proposed initial process for certification of an At-Large Structure (ALS):
  1. Submit to the ALAC, in electronic form (provided by the ALAC), a
    completed ALS application (in English) and provide the ALAC with any
    requested documentation.
  2. The ALAC will conduct due diligence, reviewing the application and
    performing necessary tasks in an effort to ensure that the established ALS
    criteria has been/will be met. This could include requesting references,
    interviewing the applicant's contact(s), gathering/requesting additional
    information on the applicant, and (for existing organizations) requesting
    information on applicant's leadership and operations, verifying general
    funding sources, and requiring the applicant to demonstrate the identity of
    their individual constituents.
  3. Upon completion of its due diligence, all ALAC members will review the
    application and related documentation; the ALAC will then vote on certifying
    the applicant an ALS, with each ALAC member voting ELIGIBLE or NOT ELIGIBLE.
  4. Decisions to certify and de-certify an ALS require a 2/3 vote of all
    of the members of the ALAC and shall be subject to review according to
    procedures established by the Board.
  5. The ALAC will notify the applicant of its certification decision, and,
    if applicable, provide information on requesting a review of the decision.
  6. On an ongoing basis, the ALAC may also give advice as to whether a
    prospective ALS meets the applicable criteria and standards.
  7. ALS applications, ALAC decisions on applications, and other
    information, as appropriate, will be publicly posted by the ALAC.

Proposed guidelines for a RALO (Regional At-Large Organization) MOU
(Memorandum of Understanding):

  1. Each RALO shall be comprised of At-Large Structures based within its
    Geographic Region that have been certified to meet the requirements of the
    RALO's Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN. There will be no more than
    one RALO in each Geographic Region.
  2. Proposed RALO MOUs shall be posted by the ALAC for public comment.
  3. Each RALO's Memorandum of Understanding shall include provisions
    designed to achieve robust participation of individual Internet users in its
    region. Prior to finalizing its MOU, each RALO shall demonstrate that every
    citizen or resident in its region is welcome to join at least one of its
    At-Large Structures. A RALO may elect to also directly include individual
    Internet users who are citizens or residents of countries within the RALO's
    Geographic Region.
  4. Signatories to the MOU (and participation in the RALO) must include a
    minimum of 3 open and transparent At-Large Structures based in at least 2
    different countries within the RALO's Geographic Region.
  5. The criteria and process for certification of At-Large Structures
    shall be included in the MOU. To the extent compatible with ICANN's stated
    objectives, each RALO may propose additional criteria and standards to
    encourage the type of structure that best fits the customs and character of
    various countries in its Geographic Region.
  6. A RALO shall be an entity that facilitates informed participation of
    individual Internet users via At-Large Structures, with openness (open to
    all ALSs), participatory opportunities (enable individual Internet users to
    discuss and make recommendations on ICANN issues and activities),
    transparency (activities documented and publicly available on the Internet),
    accountability (demonstrate its activities and procedures comply with ICANN
    requirements), and diversity (geographic, professional, etc.) in its
    structure and procedures.
  7. Each signatory to the MOU acknowledges these requirements and commits
    to assisting with the submission to the ALAC of ALS applications from other
    organizations (and potential ALSs) based in its Geographic Region.
  8. To help ensure individual Internet user participation and the
    protection of individual internet users' interests, signatories to the MOU
    commit to periodically reviewing the results of their cooperation under the
    MOU and, when appropriate, will recommend improvements in the MOU and make
    suitable proposals for modifying and updating the arrangements and scope of
    the MOU.
  9. The RALO will define a transparent process for selecting 2 individuals
    from its region (the individuals may not be citizens of the same country) to
    serve as members of the ALAC.
  10. The RALO will commit to serving as the main forum and coordination
    point for input from individual Internet users to ICANN in its region and to
    working with the ALAC and ICANN in conducting the following activities:
    1. Keeping the community of individual Internet users in their region
      informed about the significant news from ICANN;
    2. Distributing (through posting or otherwise), in languages
      appropriate for its region, news about ICANN and information about items in
      the ICANN policy-development process of interest to individual Internet
      users in its Geographic Region;
    3. Promoting outreach activities in the community of individual
      Internet users in its region;
    4. Developing and maintaining on-going information and education
      programs in its region, regarding ICANN and its work;
    5. Making public, and analyzing, ICANN's proposed policies and its
      decisions and their (potential) regional impact and (potential) effect on
      individuals in the region;
    6. Offering Internet-based mechanisms that enable discussions among
      members of ALS in its region; and
    7. Establishing mechanisms and processes that enable two-way
      communication between members of ALS in its region and those involved in
      ICANN decision-making, so interested individuals can share their views on
      pending ICANN issues.

Periodic review: At-Large Structures and RALOs shall participate in
periodic reviews of how they are contributing to the ALAC charter and
fostering informed participation of individual Internet users in ICANN, and
they will contribute to the ALACs reports to the ICANN Board on the
structure, activities and results of the ALAC and the At-Large
infrastructure.