[council] Regarding Observers

["Bruce Tonkin" <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All,

I have had no objections to the notice posted on the Council list at:
http://www.gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/msg03251.html 

There have been some suggested refinements on the Council mailing list
to deal with potential problems.  At the next Council meeting I will ask
the Council to formally endorse a policy on observers in working groups.
As the working groups are on a tight time-line, I don't want to hold up
the spirit of the support I have received from many of the GNSO Council
members for allowing more participation in working groups.

So I encourage working groups to move forward on the following basis
with respect to allowing "observers", who are not GNSO constituency
members.


"Observers: Observers shall not be members of or entitled to vote on the
working group, but otherwise shall be entitled to participate on equal
footing with members of the working group.   In particular observers
will be able to join the mailing list, and attend teleconferences or
physical meetings."

To guard against some of the behaviour that can occur with unregulated
mailing lists, observers must provide their real name, organisation (if
associated with an organisation) and contact details to the GNSO
secretariat, and the GNSO secretariat will verify at least their email
address and phone contact information.   Observers will also be
requested to provide a public statement of interest, as for working
group members.

Where a person joins an already established working group, this will be
on the basis that it is their responsibility to read the existing
documents, listen to teleconference recordings, and read the mailing
list discussions before commenting on topics that have already been
dealt with by the working group.

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin