Preamble:Some observations on the proposed ICANN budget, largely based on the
need to have an appropriate relationship of size to responsibility. If ICANN's mandate
is 'to promote the global public interest in the operational stability of the Internet
by....' I see no function budgeted that is capable of assuring the complex monitoring,
checking and administrative process this entails, let alone the necessary outreach
derisorily funded by contribution. What are the parameters of operational stability?
How are they measured? ICANN is still relying on the generous cooperativism of the
old academic network to do its work and it should not allow this to happen.
The
budget needs to include the costs of :
1. Performance parameters whereby management
can be judged as to whether it has achieved its task or not.
2. Appropriate staff
and resources for the liaison and technical personnel required to deal with the global
nature of its business. Parallel organisations have much greater flexibility.
3.
A substantial contribution to the SO's where they are accomplishing useful work in
maintaining the ICANN mandate.
4. Appropriate budget for the maintenance and expansion
of key elements in the systems which contribute to ICANN's mandate success.
5.
Inexpensive but broad electronic outreach
Currently, the slant of ICANN's budget
appears poised negatively, accumulating surpluses for the day when the contributing
organisations no longer wish to do so. Surplus or not, if ICANN is not seen to be
proactively and creatively assuming its role, then it will wither, as its excessively
US-centric makeup already displays as a retreat from its international obligations.