[ga] GA list clarification

[Denise Michel <denise.michel@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear GA list participants:

I've been asked to resend my previous email in hopes of clearing up any 
remaining confusion about the status of the GA list and its connection with the 
GNSO.

Under the current ICANN bylaws, there is no provision for any officers (or 
Secretariat) of the GA mailing list, nor any provisions regarding GNSO 
responsibility for the GA list. It is not an official structure within ICANN.  
Thus, ICANN Staff will not be "preparing a voting booth" or facilitating any 
election related to this list (as suggested on this list), nor is the GNSO 
responsible for doing so.

For those not familiar with the genesis of this list, "GA" stands for "General 
Assembly," which was a structure within the original DNSO (predecessor to GNSO) 
that ceased to exist when the DNSO was restructured into the GNSO years ago.  
There was an expectation at the time that the new GNSO would replace the old GA 
email list with a substantive, cross-constituency discussion list, but that did 
not materialize.  Several other mechanisms have been used, instead, to support 
broad-based GNSO (and At-Large) discussion.  This list was left open, but the 
GNSO has no responsibility to maintain it.

Regards,
Denise Michel
ICANN VP Policy