[Euro-board] Fwd: Re: Visa issues affecting bylaw-mandated compositional balance of vounteer involvement

[Wolf Ludwig]

Thanks Olivier! It's good to know that we can be useful from time to time ;-)

Kind regards,
Wolf


Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond wrote Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:30:
>Dear Yrjö and Wolf:
>
>FYI:
>http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/pipermail/alac-excom/2012-December/005182.html
>
>Thank you for initiating this.
>Kind regards,
>
>Olivier
>
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: 	Re: Visa issues affecting bylaw-mandated compositional balance
>of vounteer involvement
>Date: 	Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:55:48 -0500
>From: 	Steve Crocker <steve at shinkuro.com>
>To: 	Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com>
>CC: 	Steve Crocker <steve at shinkuro.com>, Fadi Chehade
><fadi.chehade at icann.org>, Sébastien Bachollet <sebastien at bachollet.com>,
>ICANN AtLarge Staff <staff at atlarge.icann.org>, ALAC EXCOM
><alac-excom at atlarge-lists.icann.org>, Secretary <secretary at icann.org>
>
>
>
>Olivier,
>
>Thanks.  Yes, this is indeed a vexing issue.  You've offered some specific suggestions which may be quite helpful.  Fadi and I will make sure these are taken into consideration in future planning.
>
>Steve
>
>On Dec 28, 2012, at 5:43 AM, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com> wrote:
>
>> 
>> Ref: /AL/ALAC/CO/1212/1
>> To: Dr. Steve Crocker - Chair of the ICANN Board
>> CC: Mr. Fadi Chehadé - ICANN CEO
>> CC: Mr. Sébastien Bachollet, - Chair of the Board Public Participation
>> Committee (PPC)
>> 
>> Dear Steve,
>> 
>> As you know, a number of people who intended to participate at the ICANN
>> 45 meeting in Toronto experienced visa problems, and some of them missed
>> the meeting altogether. Of course, the granting of visas is the
>> sovereign right of the host country, and there is very little ICANN can
>> do when such problems come to light, which is typically very close to
>> the meeting.
>> 
>> However, with its three annual meetings a core activity, ICANN should be
>> highly concerned about this problem, particularly when its essential
>> structures and their bylaws-mandated compositional balance are affected.
>> This is what happened in Toronto when three of five ALAC-appointed
>> members of the 2013 Nominating Committee were not able to participate at
>> the committee's kick-off meeting. Representatives came from Sudan
>> (representing Africa), Moldova (representing Europe), and Armenia
>> (representing the Asia-Pacific). A fourth NomCom member, a Kenyan
>> representative of the GNSO business community, received his visa at the
>> last moment and barely made it to Toronto. The lack of understanding
>> from the host country, Canada, was truly surprising.
>> 
>> ICANN's globalization and its endeavor to be inclusive and
>> representative of all regions of the world should not be held hostage by
>> the whims of host country visa policies and bureaucratic implementation
>> delays. We would like to highlight the example of Wikimedia, which also
>> conducts global annual meetings – the Wikimania - an event that is
>> hosted each year by a chapter in a different country. Wikimedia has
>> managed to hold its meetings with full participation even in countries
>> with severe visa conditions (e.g., US, Europe and Israel) by making the
>> earliest arrangements possible with the host country representatives and
>> authorities. These arrangements typically take place at least one year
>> in advance.
>> 
>> The ALAC respectfully suggests that, as part of the selection process
>> for future meeting venues, ICANN sets as a condition that the potential
>> host organization presents the firm commitment of relevant immigration
>> authorities to facilitate the granting of visas to all members of the
>> NomCom, ICANN Advisory Committee, Supporting Organization members, Staff
>> and other participants designated as essential by ICANN. If other
>> international forum organizers are able to obtain such commitment, so
>> should ICANN.
>> 
>> Finally, you may wish to consider asking the PPC (Public Participation
>> Committee) to invite the ALAC, or a designated representative from the
>> ALAC, to take part in the work which will be carried out on these
>> important issues.
>> 
>> Yours sincerely,
>> 
>> Olivier Crépin-Leblond
>> Chair, At-Large Advisory Committee
>> 
>
>
>
>
>

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