Draft for Public Comment | Generic Names Supporting Organization

Date

09 April 2003

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
9 April 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 are 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.
Comments to forum@alac.icann.org
are requested by 1 May 2003 (Comments submitted 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):

Involve individual Internet users in at least one issue or activity that
relates to ICANN's technical management responsibilities for the Internet's
domain name and address system. This includes supporting and promoting the use
of the Internet among individual users.
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.
Commit to distributing to individual Internet users information on ICANN
activities and issues, and offer Internet-based mechanisms that enable
discussions of these activities and issues among individual Internet users.
Be self-supporting (not rely on ICANN for funding).
Be open and participatory; open to individual constituents who meet their
membership requirements and participatory in terms of involving individual
constituents in policy development, discussions and decisions.
Provide information on general funding sources to the ALAC to demonstrate
that the organization has no commitments or obligations that would conflict with
its ability to involve and represent individual constituents' interests.
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), working mechanisms, leadership, and
contact(s).

Proposed initial process for certification of an At-Large Structure
(ALS):

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.
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 may 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.
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.
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.
The ALAC will notify the applicant of its certication decision, and, if
applicable, provide information on requesting a review of the decision.
On an ongoing basis, the ALAC may also give advice as to whether a
prospective ALS meets the applicable criteria and standards.

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

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.
Each RALO's Memorandum of Understanding shall include provisions designed
to allow, to the greatest extent possible, every individual Internet user who is
a citizen of a country within the RALO's Geographic Region to participate in at
least one of the RALO's 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.
Signatories to the MOU (and participation in the RALO) must include a
minimum of 3 certified At-Large Structures based in at least 2 different
countries within the RALO's Geographic Region.
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.
A RALO shall be a non-profit organization 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.
Each ALS, whose representative is a 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.
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 this 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.
The RALO will define a transparent process by which certified,
participating At-Large Structures will select 2 individuals from its region (the
individuals may not be citizens of the same country) to serve as members of the
ALAC.
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:
- Keeping the community of individual Internet users in their region
  informed about the significant news from ICANN;
- 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;
- Promoting outreach activities in the community of individual Internet
  users in its region;
- Developing and maintaining on-going information and education programs in
  its region, regarding ICANN and its work;
- Making public, and analyzing, ICANN's proposed policies and its decisions
  and their (potential) regional impact and (potential) effect on individuals in
  the region;
- Offering Internet-based mechanisms that enable discussions among members
  of ALS in its region; and
- 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.

Question: Should a minimum level of openness be required before a RALO's
MoU becomes effective? If so, what should this threshold look like?