Constituency Re-certification Comments

[Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>]

"ICANN and its constituent bodies shall operate to the maximum extent feasible 
in an open and transparent manner..."

Nice words.

Too bad that ICANN can't be bothered to abide by its own bylaws.  The IPC used 
to have a publicly archived member discussion list -- but it's gone.  The 
registrars used to have a public list utilized by many registrars, but they 
have retreated into a private non-transparent forum.  The BC never had a fully 
transparent discussion list; the same is true for the registries.  

So much for the notion of transparency to the maximum extent feasible.  

One would think that in an age when mp3 recordings are common and transcription 
services are available that constituencies would make a greater effort to 
operate in a transparent manner; instead, they have deliberately chosen to 
ignore the ICANN bylaws as they have learned that ICANN is rarely inclined to 
enforce the terms stipulated therein.

This is ICANN's opportunity to take corrective action.  But will it take 
appropriate measures?  Don't count on it.

We read that "Each Constituency identified in paragraph 1 of this Section shall 
maintain its recognition, and thus its ability to select GNSO Council 
representatives, only so long as it in fact represents the interests globally 
of the stakeholder communities it purports to represent, and shall operate to 
the maximum extent feasible in an open and transparent manner and consistent 
with procedures designed to ensure fairness."

Never mind the fact that the BC, after all these years, still has no members in 
Latin America, none in Africa, and at most one or two in all of Asia.  ICANN 
will doubtless re-certify them anyway as the Board is more interested in 
ticking off the boxes in the GNSO improvements schedule than in doing the right 
thing.

Never mind that a certain constituency (the NCUC) has formally advised the 
Board that it intends to dissolve; the board will re-certify it anyway as the 
Board can't be bothered to actually read the re-certification documents.

Never mind that constituency transparency is mostly as non-existent as ICANN 
accountability.  We know what to expect.

Business as usual.  Tick off the boxes.  Re-arrange the deck chairs and have 
the spinmeisters churn out yet another press release telling us that everything 
remains wonderful in ICANNland.