Contribution, public comment.

["Subrenat, Jean-Jacques" <jjs@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

please include the following in the Public Comment to the final draft of the 
Geographic Regions Review Working Group (I have not been able to add it online).

In the final draft, the expression "mother country" is used in the following 
instances:
- F, "ICANN must adopt and maintain its own unique geographic regions 
framework", under item 57c,
- G, "ICNN must acknowledge the sovereignty and right of self-determination of 
states to let them choose their region of allocation", under items 61 and 62.

My objection to the term "mother country" is thus motivated: if used in the 
context of ICANN, the notion of "mother-country" could be construed by some 
state as justification to challenge the self-determination of another state or 
region. History is full of tragedies fueled or condoned by the ideology of a 
"mother- (or father-) country". And though "fatherland" has even more 
unfortunate connotations, the expression "mother-country" could be used as a 
justification by some state wanting to curtail the rights of another state, 
country or region. Just as an example, let us say that a democracy in one of 
the largest geographic regions in the ICANN list is claimed by another state as 
its own territory: the term "mother-country", if used as a criterion in the 
ICANN Geographic Regions, could encourage another state to endanger or curtail 
the rights of that democracy.

Considering that the term "mother country" has objectionable connotations (e.g. 
colonialism, forceful appropriation, annexation), and that its use could foster 
future territorial or other disputes, I suggest that it be replaced, throughout 
the draft, by a more neutral expression such as "state or entity with which 
it/they was/were related".

In order to avoid political, territorial or linguistic disputes from spilling 
over into its processes, ICANN would be well advised to replace all references 
to "countries", "territories" or "regions" simply as "states or other 
collective entities". This would obviate the need for ICANN to use any term 
which, in the sphere of international relations, may give rise to disputes.

Jean-Jacques Subrenat.