ISPCP comments on delay to the GNSO Review

["Tony Holmes" <tonyarholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Internet Service Provider and Connectivity Providers (SPCP) Constituency
offer the following comments on the potential recommendation by the Board
Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) to postpone the GNSO Review and
establish a new schedule within the next six months.

 

The ISPCP does not support the proposal to delay this activity. This review
is already mandated within the ICANN Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4 and at
this point in time there are also additional factors that  underline the
need for that to begin as early as possible. 

 

As a result of the new gTLD program many more players within the existing
structure will qualify for membership of other Constituencies than was
previously the case. In addition players from other Support Organisations
will also wish to participate in GNSO activities. The unbalance that is
already occurring needs to be addressed by the GNSO review and there is no
justification to delay. The emergence of new Constituencies and the
resulting impact on stakeholder groups, coupled with the need for equal and
balanced representation also demands action sooner, rather than later.

 

In addition one of our major concerns is that some structural improvements
within constituencies already requested in the context of the FY budget plan
may be even more delayed by conditioning with the GNSO review (and its
potential delay). 

 

During the Durban meeting the Board heard a number of times from parts of
the GNSO Community that the current level of demand and the resulting work
overload was impacting the ability of some parties to keep pace, yet some of
those problems may well be alleviated as a result of a successful review of
the GNSO and the streamlining that should occur. 

 

 From the experience of conducting previous reviews it is apparent that any
review of the GNSO will require a lengthy period of time before identified
changes can be introduced. The ISPCP believe that such changes should be
rolled out as a continuous plan of improvement. It is not always necessary
to adopt a big bang approach towards change.  The ISPCP urge the Board to
move forward in identifying any required changes as quickly as possible with
a view to introducing those that can deliver quantifiable benefits to all
stakeholders through a rolling program of change.

 

The ISPCP believe that addressing the current structural and  process issues
related to the most complex and volatile part of the ICANN organisation
should be given priority and not delayed as a result of ICANN's broad focus
on other issues. If the current demands in other areas are the reason for
this delay, then ICANN's current priorities are wrong. The importance of
strengthening the policy making process of the GNSO by undertaking regular
scheduled reviews was duly recognised within the ICANN Bylaws for
well-founded and fully justifiable reasons. The need for strict adherence to
that requirement has not abated.

 

Submitted on behalf of the ISPCP Constituency.