RE: [council] Regarding Observers

["Mike Rodenbaugh" <mxr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I support openness on WGs, but share the concern expressed by some about
the size of WGs and so agree there should be some limitation on that
decided in advance.  Mawaki had good thoughts on this topic, and I think
the issue manifested itself at the Task Force meetings in LA re new TLDs
and manifests itself in some of the WGs I am involved with.  

I noted several 'votes' of that TF which included observers and did not
appear to note that some Constituencies were under-represented (or
explicitly leave time to go back and get fuller views from those
Constituencies on those straw vote issues, before further draft reports
-- if this indeed is happening, then excellent!).  I also noted many of
the same observers talking more often and at greater length than
Councilors, in general, on almost every issue.  This also happens in WGs
but is more understandable in that context since they do not involve the
entire Council.

I think the Council needs to separate its deliberations from those of
the TF at various points, to mitigate against undue influence of
observers and allow equal representation of all Constituencies.

Thanks.

Mike Rodenbaugh

Sr. Legal Director

Yahoo! Inc.

 

NOTICE:  This communication is confidential and may be protected by
attorney-client and/or work product privilege.  If you are not the
intended recipient, please notify me by reply, and delete this
communication and any attachments.


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Bruce Tonkin
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 12:50 AM
To: gnso-idn-wg@xxxxxxxxx; gnso-pro-wg@xxxxxxxxx; gnso-rn-wg@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [council] Regarding Observers

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