Re: [gnso-geo-dg] ICANN regions - scope of GNSO work

["Olga Cavalli" <olgac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Phillip,
thanks for the email and for starting the discussion, please see my comments
below your text.
best regards
Olga

2008/8/4 Philip Sheppard <philip.sheppard@xxxxxx>

>  As we start to find dates for this group perhaps we can agree on line in
> advance on the scope and basis of our work ?
> Allow me to make some suggestions.
>
> *SCOPE*
> ICANN regions and their relevance to the GNSO.
> (thus we do not need to comment on EVERY aspect of the CCSO report or ALL
> implications for ICANN)
>
>
References in the Bylaws to ICANNs Geographic Regions are included in the
sections dealing with the GNSO.

GNSO geographic diversity of the Council is related with the reference of
the individual Council members, appointed either by their constituencies or
by Noncom.




> If we agree to the above then for me we need to answer what do we mean by
> relevance?
> *RELEVANCE*
> The relevance of ICANN regions to the GNSO is as a means of implementing
> diversity for:
> a) GNSO Council members
> b) any one else eg Board ???
>

The fact that present ICANN Geographical Regions are not the same as those
defined by the UN or other existing international norm for regional
distribution of countries brings difficulties for clear definition of
"citizenship" of council member and also specially for smaller countries
with limited resources to be actively engaged in different aspects of ICANN.
>
>
> And perhaps we could also agree on some basic principles relevant to the
> above?
> *PRINCIPLES*
> 1. ICANN should avoid making geo-political judgements and so where regions
> are relevant, refer to an authoritative third party.
> 2. Where there are grey areas in such a third party regional construct,
> members of constituencies (or territories) may opt-in (in advance) to
> whichever region they wish (subject to some underlying logic to avoid mere
> whim).
>
>


This is relevant to the different SOs, in particular for the GNSO, as stated
in the Section3 of the  ICANN Bylaws:

....................
No two representatives selected by a Constituency shall be citizens of the
same country or of countries located in the same Geographic Region.
.......................


 Your thoughts on this shaping would be most welcome.
>
> Philip
>