Questions to the Community on Accountability and Transparency within ICANN: The Affirmation of Commitments as part of the accountability framework for ICANN

["Fernando G. Guerrero" <FGuerrero@xxxxxxxxxx>]

My name is Fernando Guerrero, and I am founder and CEO of a database expert 
consulting firm based in Spain (the home of the 2010 Football Champion! ).

I have attended only these two recent ICANN meetings that were held in Europe, 
where my travel costs were not so extravagant (Paris in 2008 and Brussels in 
2010).  So I have just limited experience with ICANN, but I believe I have 
something very important to say about ICANN's Accountability and Transparency.

While I was in Brussels last month, I attended a dinner by the European 
Internet Foundation (EIF) at the European Parliament.  The theme for this 
dinner was "ICANN: New Organization and New Challenges".  EIF invited 
businesses leaders, European Parliamentarians, and ICANN Directors and senior 
executives, including its president and chairman.

I was very interested in the dinner discussion of the future of ICANN operating 
under the Affirmation of Commitments.  It was clear to me that European 
government and industry leaders were pleased about the possibility of making 
ICANN accountable to European interests.  This would be an improvement on 
previous accountability arrangements just to the U.S. Government.

But during the Q&A session following dinner, I heard the chairman of ICANN say 
that the Affirmation of Commitments was just a temporary solution that would 
soon be terminated.

Perhaps I misunderstood the Chairman's remarks.  But if I heard him correctly, 
he does not view the new Affirmation of Commitments as ICANN's new 
accountability framework.

At the public forum in Brussels, I stood to ask the Chairman to clarify his 
remarks at EIF and explain how ICANN would be held accountable if it were to 
terminate this Affirmation agreement.
 
But ICANN¹s Chairman avoided my question by asking President Beckstrom to 
respond to my question.   Mr. Beckstrom responded that the Affirmation was a 
long-term or perpetual document for ICANN.  This answer was very different from 
what the Chairman told us at the EIF dinner two days before, when he casually 
dismissed ICANN's commitments.

I am still confused and also concerned about ICANN's real commitment to the 
Affirmation agreement and the accountability tests in that agreement.

Please apply the powers of your review team to discover the true sentiments of 
ICANN's Board with respect to the Affirmation of Commitments.  I am sure that 
many others are also eager to know the answer.


Sincerely,

Fernando G. Guerrero
Global CEO, Solid Quality Mentors
http://www.solidq.com
Alicante, Spain