I'm sure the consumer groups who are members of NCSG would want to weigh in on this proposal to create a consumer constituency. Too bad none have been included in this staff initiative so far. Best, Robin Begin forwarded message: > From: Glen de Saint Géry <[log in to unmask]> > Date: January 24, 2010 10:09:38 AM PST > To: Avri Doria <[log in to unmask]>, Robin Gross <[log in to unmask]>, > "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> > Cc: Glen de Saint Géry <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: FW: Community Comment Invited on Revised Proposal To Form > A New GNSO Consumers Constituency 22 January to 13 February 2010 > > Dear Avri, Robin and Rosemary, > > FYI > Thanks > Glen > > Community Comment Invited on Revised Proposal To Form A New GNSO > Consumers Constituency > Please note and take some time to submit comments before 13 > February 2010! > > http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22jan10-en.htm > العربية 中文 English Français Español Русский > 日本語 Deutsch Português 한국어 Italiano > > 22 January 2010 > The ongoing GNSO Improvements process has created significant > community interest in the formation of new GNSO constituencies. One > of those proposals is for a new Consumers Constituency. Proponents > of the Consumers Constituency originally submitted a New > Constituency Petition and Charter to the ICANN Board on 14 April > 2009. A revised version of the proposal, responding to several > Board inquiries was submitted to the Board on 15 September 2009. > > The Structural Improvements Committee of the ICANN Board has > directed the Staff to post the revised (15 September) version of > the proposed Consumers Constituency Charter for community review > and comment. All members of the ICANN community and the public are > now invited to review the petition and charter of the Consumers > Constituency and share comments with the Board through 13 February > 2009. > > Background and Explanation: > > In June 2008, the Board of Directors endorsed a series of > recommendations on how to improve the GNSO's structures and > operations. One of the significant drivers of those recommendations > was an interest in maximizing participation in the GNSO and its > policy development processes. Among the various recommendations > endorsed by the Board was that ICANN take steps to clarify and > promote the option to self-form new constituencies. > > The ICANN Bylaws provide that any group of individuals or entities > may petition the Board for recognition as a new or separate > constituency, in accordance with Section 5(4) of Article X. Such a > petition must explain (1) why "the addition of such a Constituency > will improve the ability of the GNSO to carry out its policy- > development responsibilities" and (2) why "the proposed new > Constituency would adequately represent, on a global basis, the > stakeholders it seeks to represent." Despite those Bylaw > provisions, it has been many years since the organization has had > formal requests for any new GNSO constituencies. Since the Board > action last June, however, the Board has received four petitions > for potential new GNSO Constituencies. In December, the Board chose > not to approve three of those proposals (see http://www.icann.org/ > en/minutes/prelim-report-09dec09-en.htm) and the Consumers proposal > is still under consideration. > > The ICANN bylaws do not provide specific procedural guidance for > how interested parties should submit the petitions contemplated in > Article X. Mindful that explicit steps, formats, and/or processes > for expansion would take some time for the community to develop in > the implementation of the improvements recommendations, the Board > directed ICANN Staff to provide the community with some initial > guidance, a structure and a specific procedural path for potential > new constituencies to follow. At its 1 October 2008 meeting, the > Board acknowledged Staff's development of a "Notice of Intent" > document for potential new constituencies and directed Staff to > develop a formal petition and charter template to assist new > constituency applicants in satisfying the formative criteria > (consistent with the ICANN Bylaws) to facilitate the Board's > evaluation of petitions to form new constituencies. > > The process subsequently developed by the Staff required interested > groups to first submit a Notice of Intent to Form a New > Constituency (NOIF). The proponents of the Consumers Constituency > completed that first step on 28 February 2009. The second step of > the process is development of a New Constituency Petition and > Charter. The proponent of the Consumers Constituency completed that > effort on 14 April 2009. > > In August 2009 the members of the ICANN Board developed a number of > questions regarding the proposal. In response to those inquiries > the Consumer Constituency proponents revised their original NOIF > and updated their proposed charter document on 15 September 2009. > > Relevant Board Resolution, Bylaws and Constituency Submissions: > > •Minutes of 1 October 2008 ICANN Board Meeting: http:// > www.icann.org/en/minutes/minutes-01oct08.htm > > •ICANN Bylaws Article X, Section 5, Subsection 4: http:// > www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm - X-5.1 > > •Copies of the original and Revised Consumers Constituency > Petition Documents can be found at this web page: http:// > gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/newco-process-en.htm > > •Revised (15 Sept) Consumers Constituency NOIF; http:// > gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/consumers-constituency-noif- > redacted-15sep09.pdf > > •Revised (15 Sept) Consumers Constituency Charter Document; http:// > gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/consumers-constituency- > charter-15sep09.pdf > > •Public Comment Forum of this proceeding: http://www.icann.org/en/ > public-comment/public-comment-201002-en.htm#newco > The Process From Here: > > At the end of this Public Comment Forum period, the ICANN Staff > will provide a summary/analysis of the comments submitted regarding > the revised Consumers Constituency petition and charter. That > summary/analysis will be shared with the community and the Board. > The Board will ultimately make the decision on whether to authorize > the new constituency. > > It should be noted that the GNSO Improvements Report approved by > the Board in June 2008 has additional guidelines and > recommendations for the ongoing practices and processes of GNSO > constituencies. This work is ongoing as part of the GNSO > Improvements implementation efforts being coordinated by the GNSO > Council (see http://gnso.icann.org/ and http://gnso.icann.org/en/ > improvements/). > > Deadline and How to Submit Comments: > > The Staff is opening a 21-day public consultation forum, from 22 > January 2009 through 13 February 2010, and invites community > comments on this matter. > > The formal Public Comment Forum Box is located here: http:// > www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-201002-en.htm#newco > > To submit comments: [log in to unmask] > > To view comments: http://forum.icann.org/lists/consumers- > constituency-petition/ > > Staff Responsible: Robert Hoggarth > > Glen de Saint Géry > GNSO Secretariat > [log in to unmask] > http://gnso.icann.org > IP JUSTICE Robin Gross, Executive Director 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451 w: http://www.ipjustice.org e: [log in to unmask]