[Fwd: IANA Bylaws]

[Brian E Carpenter <brian@hursley.ibm.com>]

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Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 23:29:21 -0400
From: Robert Phelps <r.phelps@worldnet.att.net>
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To: brian@hursley.ibm.com
Subject: Re:  IANA Bylaws
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Dear Brian Carpenter,


I tihnk IANA should consider adding something like the following (the
ALL CAPS addendum below - the only change) to the By-Laws as submitted:

ARTICLE III
....
Section 2. ACCESS TO INFORMATION

The Board shall publish, at least annually, a report describing its
activities, including an audited
financial statement and describing any payments made by the Corporation
to Directors (other than
reimbursements of expenses). All minutes of meetings of the Board,
Supporting Organizations (and
any councils thereof) and Committees shall be approved promptly and
immediately following
approval shall be made publicly available on the Web Site and otherwise;
provided, however, that
any minutes relating to personnel or employment matters, legal matters
(to the extent the Board
determines is necessary or appropriate to protect the interests of the
Corporation), matters that the
Corporation is prohibited by law or contract from disclosing publicly
and other matters that the Board
determines are not appropriate for public distribution shall not be
included in the minutes made
publicly available. For any matters that the Board determines not to
disclose, the Board shall describe
in generic terms in the relevant minutes the reason for such
nondisclosure AND PUBLISH A GENERIC DESCRIPTION  OF ANY  MATTERS  AND
REASONS  FOR NONDISCLOSURE AS A PART OF OR  AS AN APPENDIX TO THE
MINUTES OF THE MEETING IN WHICH IT THE MATTER WAS RAISED.

As now submitted this Article III  Section 2 provides the Board no
guidance on how/when to publish the generic descriptions it mentions,
suggests a lawyerly approach that is at odds with the transparency goals
set forth earlier in the Article.

My suggestion would not "hobble" the board.  However the veyr weak
obligation created by the dangling last sentence (unmodified) is
bothersome given that it refers to  "other matters that the Board
determines are not appropriate for public distribution".    A mechanism
that permits interested IANA stakeholders <<timely>> access to  complete
minutes, i.e. minutes with pointers to what are effectively redactions
do a lot to maintain confidence that the organization is operating with
an appropriate degree of openness.

Robert Phelps
Milton, Masachusetts, USA