Re: [council] Re: ICANN Summit on Developing Countries - Invitation to a preparatory meeting in Singapore

[Stéphane Van Gelder <stephane.vangelder@xxxxxxxxx>]

Katim,

I couldn't agree more with Bill.

Further, could you please clarify for me whether the prep meeting is a Board 
initiative or your own?

I ask because your previous message led me to understand that this was an 
official Board request. If so, I would like to understand why the Board thinks 
it's OK to plan a meeting opposite our weekend GNSO sessions, which will 
already be severely disrupted at the Singapore meeting by the ongoing GAC/Board 
discussions?

Don't get me wrong, as I stated before I support the cause you are championing 
and I know several Councillors are very keen to participate. However, as 
Council Chair, my priorities must go to the Council and to making sure that we 
are able to conduct our official business as best we can. As you know, GNSO 
Councillors are expected to attend the weekend sessions prior to the official 
ICANN meeting week and that often requires them to volunteer even more of their 
personal or (other) work time.

Out of respect for them and the efforts the GNSO community as a whole puts into 
the ICANN process, I think we should be mindful of these things when we add 
extra sessions that may cause clashes to the planned ICANN meeting schedule.

Thanks,

Stéphane



Le 24 mai 2011 à 11:20, William Drake a écrit :

> Hi,
> 
> Greetings from a UN Commission on Science & Tech for Development meeting in 
> Geneva, where I'm listening to government and government talk about the 
> negative impacts and need for intergovernmental governance of the Internet, 
> the many relevant activities of the ITU, etc.  Seems a good setting to be 
> thinking about an outreach meeting focused on developing countries. Katim, 
> may I offer two suggestions for your consideration?  
> 
> First, we've had four Councilors say they'd like to participate in your 
> meeting, and we've not heard yet from Rafik and others who may be as well.  
> So there's clearly interest in what you're doing, which one would think it 
> makes sense to cultivate and translate into engagement.  So rather than 
> asking SO/AC's to each do internal selection processes that might leave some 
> people unhappy and artificially restrict the scope of participation in your 
> effort, could you maybe consider just doing an open planning meeting?  The 
> turn-out is unlikely to be so large as to make the meeting unmanageable, and 
> you could mobilize more energies…
> 
> Second, either way, it'd presumably be desirable to schedule it at a time 
> that doesn't directly conflict too much for the folks who are most interested 
> in contributing.  I don't know what feedback you're getting from other 
> SO/ACs, but as you can see, Sunday morning's not great for those of us here.  
> Any way you could maybe do it Saturday morning, Monday afternoon, or 
> something similar?  
> 
> Best,
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> On May 23, 2011, at 5:35 PM, Stéphane Van Gelder wrote:
> 
>> Bill,
>> 
>> I answered too quickly before and wrongly, I apologise. I missed the fact 
>> that participation is limited to 2 people from the GNSO. I can feel the 
>> headache of trying to select only 2 reps from the GNSO coming a mile away... 
>> but I suppose we should put out a call for volunteers then?
>> 
>> Stéphane
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Le 23 mai 2011 à 17:09, Stéphane Van Gelder a écrit :
>> 
>>> Bill,
>>> 
>>> As I understand it, this is just a prelim meeting (Katim, please correct me 
>>> if I'm wrong). So the process AFAIK is you just stand up, wave goodbye to 
>>> your fellow council members and walk over to the room where Katim's meeting 
>>> is ;)
>>> 
>>> Stéphane
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Le 23 mai 2011 à 15:10, William Drake a écrit :
>>> 
>>>> Hello Katim
>>>> 
>>>> As you might guess from prior discussions going back to Nairobi, I would 
>>>> be keenly interested in participating in this meeting, and not only to 
>>>> bask in Stéphane's reflected glory.  
>>>> 
>>>> Stéphane, what's our selection process?
>>>> 
>>>> Best,
>>>> 
>>>> Bill
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On May 23, 2011, at 3:03 PM, Katim S. Touray wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Stéphane,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I'm sure you'll never be in a room talking to yourself, be the star 
>>>>> attraction and crowd puller you are!  Leave the worry about getting 
>>>>> people to show up to us.
>>>>> 
>>>>> A bientot!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Katim
>>>>> 
>>>>> 2011/5/23 Stéphane Van Gelder <stephane.vangelder@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> What and leave me talking to myself all alone in a big meeting room? ;)
>>>>> 
>>>>> Joking aside, I understand the scheduling hell that we all have to go 
>>>>> through at ICANN meetings so no worries there. I am sure your meeting 
>>>>> will have some Councillors in attendance, and hopefully some will also 
>>>>> stay and keep me company as well ;)
>>>>> 
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Stéphane
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Le 23 mai 2011 à 14:56, Katim S. Touray a écrit :
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi Stéphane,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks for your e-mail, and sorry for the conflict.  ICANN meetings are 
>>>>>> always like that because there's some much going on.  However, it would 
>>>>>> be great if other GNSO Council reps, other than yourself, can attend.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Have a great week, and best wishes!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Katim
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 2011/5/23 Stéphane Van Gelder <stephane.vangelder@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>>>> Thanks Katim.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I am copying your message to the GNSO Council list so that everyone is 
>>>>>> aware of this meeting.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I note with some dismay, however, that your planned meeting on the 
>>>>>> morning of Sunday 19 will clash with our GNSO weekend sessions. This may 
>>>>>> prevent some Councillors from attending what sounds like a very 
>>>>>> interesting meeting...
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Stéphane
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Le 22 mai 2011 à 11:42, Katim S. Touray a écrit :
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Dear all,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> I am writing to invite you to send two representatives from your 
>>>>>>> SO/AC/group to attend a preparatory meeting to help organize a proposed 
>>>>>>> ICANN Summit on Developing Countries.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> A number of ICANN stakeholders, and myself, have been having online 
>>>>>>> discussions since early last month about having an ICANN Summit on 
>>>>>>> Developing Countries.  The attached file is the original proposal for 
>>>>>>> the Summit, which is aimed at providing the ICANN community an 
>>>>>>> opportunity to have an in-depth discussion on developing countries, 
>>>>>>> their role in ICANN, and the way forward.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> In view of the fact that the Oct. 2011 ICANN annual public meeting will 
>>>>>>> be held in Dakar, Senegal, the aim is to have the Summit there.  The 
>>>>>>> Summit will include presentations and discussions on the following 
>>>>>>> topics:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> A backgrounder on developing countries (what is a "developing country" 
>>>>>>> or "least developed country," socio-economic development in these 
>>>>>>> countries, Internet and ICT development in these countries)
>>>>>>> ICANN and developing countries (ICANN's relationship with ccTLDs, 
>>>>>>> international organizations of developing countries, governments, NGOs, 
>>>>>>> and businesses in developing countries, etc)
>>>>>>> Participation of Developing Countries in ICANN: Challenges, 
>>>>>>> Opportunities, and the Way Forward
>>>>>>> The meeting in Singapore will have about 20 or so invitees from the 
>>>>>>> SOs, ACs, liaisons, other stakeholders, as well as some ICANN board 
>>>>>>> members and staff.  The tentative agenda for the Singapore meeting will 
>>>>>>> consist of the following:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> What the proposed Summit will discuss?
>>>>>>> Who will be on the panel of presenters?
>>>>>>> The format for the Summit
>>>>>>> (S)election of Summit Organizing Committee (SOC)
>>>>>>> Additional details of the Singapore meeting are as follows:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Date: Sunday, June 19, 2011
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Time: 09:00-10:30 (90 minutes)
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Location: Raffles Ballroom
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Service: Simultaneous Interpretation in French and Spanish
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> Please let me know when you have selected your representatives to the 
>>>>>>> meeting, and who they are.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> Thank you in advance for your consideration, and please do not hesitate 
>>>>>>> to let me know if you need any additional information from me.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>  
>>>>>>> Katim
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> <ICANN Summit on Developing Countries - Proposal.doc>
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>