I think this is a very welcome and appropriate action by the board. And a very welcome push back against some GAC members who seem to think the GACs role is whatever they would like it to be, and a very solid and appropriate defence of the GNSOs (and therefore multi-stakeholder policy making) in policy development. David On 4 Nov 2014, at 1:39 pm, Avri Doria <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [council] Letter from Steve Crocker to GAC Chair regarding GNSO/GAC role in gTLD policy development > Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2014 04:33:11 +0000 > From: Mary Wong <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > > Dear Council members, > > You and your communities will likely be interested in the latest letter sent > by Board Chair Steve Crocker to new GAC Chair Thomas Schneider, responding > to that part of the GAC advice in its London Communique in which the GAC > commented that protections for Red Cross designations ought not to be > conditioned on a PDP: > https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/crocker-to-schneider-03 > nov14-en.pdf > > Pertinent parts of Dr Crocker¹s letter include the following excerpt: "While > the GAC may participate in the policy development process, and has a role to > ³provide advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of > governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between > ICANN¹s policies and various laws and international agreements or where they > may affect public policy issues,² the GNSO has the authority to recommend > substantive policies on topics that are within the scope of ICANN¹s mission > statement, has potentially broad applicability to multiple situations or > organizations, is likely to have lasting value or applicability, and will > establish a guide or framework for future decision-making. The Board has > concerns about the advice in the London Communiqué because it appears to be > inconsistent with the framework established in the Bylaws granting the GNSO > authority to recommend consensus policies to the Board, and the Board to > appropriately act upon policies developed through the bottom-up consensus > policy developed by the GNSO.² > > Dr Crocker¹s letter also serves to ³kick off² the prescribed Board-GAC > consultation process envisaged in the ICANN Bylaws in instances where the > Board disagrees with GAC advice. > > Cheers > Mary > > Mary Wong > Senior Policy Director > Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN) > Telephone: +1 603 574 4892 > Email: [log in to unmask] > > > > > > >