[npoc-voice] Proposed comment on NCUC Charter update

[Alain Berranger <alain.berranger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear NPOC Colleagues,

We did not have time to discuss yesterday in our monthly call.

*CONTEXT*:

The NCUC is revising its Charter to comply with the new NCSG Charter. I am
a NCUC individual member (pending CECI's application to NPOC which I'm
working on - needs Board approval and I met the new DG yesterday to have
her buy-in - once CECI is admitted to NPOC, I will withdraw my individual
membership in NCUC).

For now, I would take advantage of my NCUC membership to propose the
following, but want to discuss with you as this is likely to impact NPOC's
future decision to admit individuals, will not to please at all our NCUC
Colleagues and they will reject no doubt;

...but it is my deep conviction that membership of Constituencies at ICANN
should be homogeneous, as it makes the multi-stakeholder model more robust
(in other words if civil societies, individuals, governments and private
sector are to participate in the ICANN process, it is better that we know
where the policy proposal are coming from). I learned that lesson from 14
years at the Global Knowledge Partnership Network and Foundation.

Hence my proposal:

*DRAFT FOR NPOC DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS ON A NON-OBJECTION BASIS*

At the origin, NCUC did not allow for individual membership, but reversed
its policy at the Paris meeting in June 2008. A new non-commercial
constituency was being talked about at the time.... you can draw your own
conclusions in terms of voting power in the Non Commercial Stakeholders'
Group....

*"Given that NPOC, as the other NCSG Constituency, focuses solely on
non-profit and non-governmental organizations (as NCUC did originally) and
that NPOC does not represent individuals, I recommend "non-profit
organizations" be removed from section B of the NCUC Charter. *
*
*
*This division of representativity would also be in line with academia
colleagues who have argued quite strongly that they are active in NCUC as
subject experts not as representatives of their institutions.*
*
*
*The NCUC charter allows individual membership, inter alia, if ""you are
employed by or a member of a large noncommercial organizations
(universities, colleges, large NGOs) and it is too complicated or lack the
standing to join on an organizational basis, you can participate as an
individual""*
*
*
*Also in line with a level playing field for NCSG's recruitment of new
members, the requirements for NPOC membership are currently more demanding
than NCUC's as the former involves the designation of a principal
representative and an alternate representative and the submitting of
official and legal documents proving the not-for-profit status of the
applicant under the appropriate juridiction. We do not think this is too
complicated and also want our members to be represented by individuals who
have the standing to join on an organizational basis.*
*
*
*If this is not to be the case, and since the creation of NPOC, on what
basis would an NFP/NGO decide which NCSG Constituency to join? Unless of
course we let the market decide and both Constituencies continue to recruit
institutional memberships.*
*
*
*Also, the recruitment of individuals takes away from At-Large which is the
ICANN community of individual Internet users who participate in the policy
development work of ICANN.*
*
*
*Again, on what basis would an individual decide to join NCUC or At-Large?*
*
*
*Finally, further confusing the situation, NPOC could therotically decide
to admit individuals"*
*
*
Given the time constraint, please send me your comments and suggestions
soonest. This consultation is done on *a non-objection basis*, if you are
in agreement and do not have time to make comments or suggestions before
Friday the 13th of April.

Thank you!

Alain
-- 
Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA
Member, Board of Directors, CECI,
http://www.ceci.ca<http://www.ceci.ca/en/about-ceci/team/board-of-directors/>
Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, www.schulich.yorku.ca
Treasurer, Global Knowledge Partnership Foundation, www.gkpfoundation.org
NA representative, Chasquinet Foundation, www.chasquinet.org
Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, http://npoc.org/
O:+1 514 484 7824; M:+1 514 704 7824
Skype: alain.berranger