[gnso-osc-ops] Guidance for Disclosures of Interest

[Julie Hedlund <julie.hedlund@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ray,

As you know, in the revised GNSO Council Operating Procedures approved by the 
GNSO Council on 05 August 2010, Section 5 contains a new requirement for 
members of the GNSO Council and for GNSO Working Groups/Work Teams to provide 
written Disclosures of Interest (DOIs) per the following definition in Section 
5.1:

“Disclosure of Interest:  Relevant to a specific issue at a specific time.  A 
written statement made by a Relevant Party of direct and indirect interests 
that may be commercial (e.g. monetary payment) or non-commercial (e.g. 
non-tangible benefit such as publicity, political or academic visibility) and 
may affect, or be perceived to affect, the Relevant Party's judgment on a 
specific issue.”

ICANN staff in coordination with Chuck Gomes has developed the following 
guidance for Working Groups and Work Teams on how to approach the DOIs in a 
simplified manner since there have been several questions and concerns about 
how this process should work and how to keep it brief.  It may be that your 
Work Team will want to discuss this guidance along with any discussion on 
possible changes to the SOI/DOI procedures at the meeting scheduled for 
Wednesday, 15 Sept at 1700 UTC/0900 PDT/1300 EDT.

To simplify matters, with Chuck’s concurrence we are advising Working Groups 
and Work Teams that these DOIs can be considered updates to the members’ 
existing Statements of Interest (SOIs) already provided.  For example, if a 
member has an update relating to the work under discussion, it should be 
provided in writing to the email distribution list and it will be appended by 
staff to the existing SOI and posted.  See the SOIs at: 
https://st.icann.org/data/workspaces/icann-osc/attachments/gnso_operations_team:20090228062014-0-15719/original/GNSO%20OSC%20GCOT%20Work%20Team%20SOIs.pdf.
  Please note that in future staff intends to develop a brief online form for 
the submission of SOIs and DOIs once the content of Section 5.3.3 (SOI 
questions) is determined and approved. That new electronic form process will be 
used by all new Working Groups.

In addition, to initiate these new procedures, we recommend that you announce 
the procedures at the meeting on the 15th and Rob Hoggarth in my absence will 
read the definition of the DOI.  You should then ask if any members have any 
DOIs to provide that would update their SOIs and, if so, to state them now and 
to provide them in writing to the list.

We also are informing Working Groups and Work Teams that on 15 September your 
Work Team is taking up the issue of possible changes to the SOI/DOI procedures, 
including section 5.3.3, which has not been approved pending changes to the 
content of SOI questions, as well as any changes to how the DOIs are provided.  
For subsequent meetings we suggest that the Chair/Vice-Chairs should ask at the 
beginning of the meeting whether members have any updates to their DOIs.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  For your reference, the complete 
GNSO Council Operating Procedures can be found at:  
http://gnso.icann.org/meetings/operating-procedures-revised-draft-clean-09oct09-en.pdf.

Best regards,

Julie