[council] Proposed Bylaws Changes Regarding the Technical Liaison Group

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/bylaws-amend-tlg-30oct13-en.htm
Proposed Bylaws Changes Regarding the Technical Liaison Group
Comment / Reply Periods (*)
Comment Open Date: 30 October 2013
Comment Close Date: 29 November 2013 - 23:59 UTC
Reply Open Date: 30 November 2013
Reply Close Date: 20 December 2013 - 23:59 UTC
Important Information Links
Public Comment 
Announcement<https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-30oct13-en.htm>
To Submit Your Comments 
(Forum)<mailto:comments-bylaws-amend-tlg-30oct13@xxxxxxxxx>
View Comments 
Submitted<http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-bylaws-amend-tlg-30oct13/>
Brief Overview
Originating Organization:
ICANN Board
Categories/Tags:

 *   ICANN Board/Bylaws
Purpose (Brief):

Bylaws changes are proposed in order to increase availability of technical 
advice to the Board as well as the effectiveness of the Technical Liaison Group 
as set forth in the Bylaws.
Current Status:

For community consideration
Next Steps:

The Board will consider the community input and determine whether to approve 
the Bylaws amendments.
Staff Contact:
Samantha Eisner, Senior Counsel
Email Staff 
Contact<mailto:samantha.eisner@xxxxxxxxx?subject=More%20information%20on%20the%20Proposed%20Bylaws%20Changes%20Regarding%20the%20Technical%20Liaison%20Group%20public%20comment%20period>
Detailed Information
Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose:

The ICANN Board has recently been reviewing the fundamental question of how it 
can obtain the advice that it needs. Advice on technical matters is one of 
those key areas where the existing advisory mechanism, the Technical Liaison 
Group (or TLG) is not meeting the Board's needs or the mission as stated in the 
Bylaws. One of the key functions that the TLG is supposed to serve is to form a 
panel of experts to which ICANN can direct technical questions. To date this 
expert panel has not yet been formed. The TLG is comprised of four 
organizations (the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the 
International Telecommunications Union's Telecommunication Standardization 
Sector (ITU-T), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the Internet 
Architecture Board (IAB)) and has primarily focused its efforts on the annual 
appointment of a liaison to the ICANN Board and a voting member to ICANN's 
Nominating Committee. The need for the operation of the TLG to change has been 
an ongoing conversation within ICANN, as noted in the review of the TLG that 
was recently completed.

The proposed Bylaws posted for comment are anticipated to help streamline the 
efforts of the component entities of the TLG in providing the ICANN Board with 
technical advice. Instead of focusing their efforts on the appointment of a 
Board liaison or a Nominating Committee member, the primary task remaining with 
the TLG entities will be focus on the appointment of the expert panel that the 
Board can call upon for advice. The liaison role does not offer this more 
global access to expertise, as the TLG liaison role rotates on an annual basis, 
and no one liaison is able to deliver a coordinated position representing all 
of the TLG entities. The existence of the expert group will allow the Board to 
seek coordinated input, if needed, from all four component entities at the same 
time.

The Bylaws changes do not represent any change to the role of the TLG, which is 
to "channel technical information and guidance to the Board and other ICANN 
entities." Nor is there any change to four entities that make up the TLG. This 
proposed change is directed only towards simplifying how the TLG operates and 
delivers technical advice to the Board.
Section II: Background:

The Technical Liaison Group is one of the advisory mechanisms set out in the 
ICANN Bylaws. It is comprised of four organizations (the European 
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the International 
Telecommunications Union's Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), 
the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the Internet Architecture Board 
(IAB)). Today, three of those organizations (ETSI, ITU-T and W3C) appoint a 
liaison to the ICANN Board on a rotating basis. In 2010, ICANN, through the 
Structural Improvements Committee, commissioned an organizational review of the 
TLG (available at 
http://www.icann.org/en/groups/reviews/tlg<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/reviews/tlg>),
 which resulted in recommendations to change the structure of the TLG.
Section III: Document and Resource Links:

Proposed Bylaws 
Amendments<https://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws/proposed-revisions-tlg-30oct13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 69 KB]
Section IV: Additional Information:

None

________________________________

(*) Comments submitted after the posted Close Date/Time are not guaranteed to 
be considered in any final summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making 
that takes place once this period lapses.


Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://gnso.icann.org