[EURO-Discuss] Draft statement on the operational plan and budget

[Vittorio Bertola]

Hello,

I couldn't meet with anyone else but, as requested earlier today, here is
a draft statement on the operational plan and budget document. Beware
that, as envisaged, it is quite hard on ICANN...

====
The European Regional At-Large Organization is astonished by the reading
of the "Proposed Framework for FY10 Operating Plan and Budget". We note
with perplexity that neither the At-Large constituency nor the ALAC is
ever mentioned once in the entire body of the document; even in the nine
pages of Appendix A, which lists ICANN's operating plan items up to the
details of "Coordinate and manage Board website hosting" and "Facilitate
payment of Director expenses", the ALAC and the At-Large appear only four
times, of which three are actions aimed at "improving their performance"
(whatever that means) among that of other bodies.

For example, of the 16 action items that constitute section 7
"Constituency support", ten regard support for registries and registrars;
two regard the GNSO; one regards the GAC; the remaining three are generic
points that include all SOs and ACs. Apparently, no specific effort is
planned by ICANN to support the At Large or user constituencies.

Moreover, section 9 "Global engagement and increased international
participation" describes a huge work programme that only focuses on
involving more registries, more registrars and more governments throughout
the world; several detailed action items are designed to involve new
governments in the GAC. It is unbelievable that no mention is made of the
need to increase the participation of the public, either through the At
Large or through public participation channels in general. From this plan,
it looks like ICANN's operating plan is to promote a business fair or
trade cartel for registries and registrars, while pleading with
governments not to disrupt the plan, and while ignoring anyone else.

We think that global engagement and international participation are a
vital part of ICANN's credibility and legitimacy, but definitely not in
the sense that ICANN implies with this document. Thus we urge the ICANN
Board to check out the corporation's priorities and ensure that
appropriate attention, means and budget are allocated to promoting and
supporting participation by the global public.
====

Ciao,
-- 
vb.                   Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu   <--------
-------->  finally with a new website at http://bertola.eu/  <--------