[gnso-ppsc-pdp] Note from Council List of F2F Meeting

["Neuman, Jeff" <Jeff.Neuman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

All,


FYI.  The following was posted on the Council list and I thought I should 
forward this around:

 

http://www.gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/msg07934.html

 

[council] Discussion around face 2 face meetings

*       To: GNSO Council <council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
*       Subject: [council] Discussion around face 2 face meetings 
*       From: Stéphane Van Gelder <stephane.vangelder@xxxxxxxxx> 
*       Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:14:38 +0100 
*       List-id: council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
*       Sender: owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

________________________________

Dear all,

 

There currently seems to be a trend towards more and more requests being made 

for ICANN resources to fund F2F meetings. This trend now seems to be spilling 

over into work teams that would previously have probably not made them but 

simply endeavored to complete their work through teleconference calls and email 

correspondence.

 

On a personal basis, I find this trend worrying as it places an undue financial 

burden on ICANN and is not, in my view, viable in the long term unless we 

accept that a) ICANN's budget needs to grow exponentially and without limits 

and b) that participation in work teams means making oneself available to 

travel (with the inherent tendency that follows for only those people whom 

either have lots of time to devote to the ICANN process will tend to 

participate).

 

However, I have not before approached this topic with the Council as I did not 

have concrete examples to provide. But a recent example has come to light, and 

I have been asked by the RrSG to forward the following message to the Council. 

This message comes from a member of PPSC WT who has asked that it be very 

clearly stated that this comment is not in any way meant as a criticism of Jeff 

Neuman, the chair of the group, whom has done an excellent job despite some 

difficult working conditions.

 

Message reads:

 

The PPSC PDP Work Team has proposed an ICANN-funded face-to-face meeting in 

Washington DC next year.  The RrSG objects to this proposal on the following 

grounds:

 

We are concerned about the potential for precedent this move would set for 

future PDPs struggling to meet the challenges of participation and schedule 

pressure.

       

We are concerned about an expansion of ICANN-funded travel, and the impact this 

will have on budgets & fees.  As such, we request that this (and any future)  

proposed meetings that call for ICANN funding be subject to a full vote of the 

Council, and are not decided unilaterally at the working-group level.

       

It is difficult to commit support, in advance, for any meeting that does not 

have a detailed & defined agenda.

 

And finally, we believe that an emphasis on face-to-face meetings (as opposed 

to remote teleconferences / webcasts) is a retreat from ICANN's mission of 

global participation and inclusion of interests outside the US.

 

Thanks,

 

Stéphane

 

 

Jeffrey J. Neuman 
Neustar, Inc. / Vice President, Law & Policy
46000 Center Oak Plaza Sterling, VA 20166
Office: +1.571.434.5772  Mobile: +1.202.549.5079  Fax: +1.703.738.7965 / 
jeff.neuman@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jeff.neuman@xxxxxxxxxxx>   / www.neustar.biz 
<http://www.neustar.biz/>       

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