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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear members:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The small working group created at the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:City> meeting has come to an agreement about
the voting distribution in a new GNSO Council. It remains to the ICANN Board and
staff to accept and implement this proposal. The Board is expected to follow
the consensus of the group, however. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I am reasonably happy with the solution. The new structure is
bicameral and involves two distinct voting “houses,” one for
contracting parties (registries and registrars) and one for noncontracting
parties (i.e., users, with an even number of votes for commercial and
noncommercial stakeholders). There is an even number of votes for commercial and
noncommercial stakeholders.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This new structure eliminates an old injustice in the GNSO’s
structure. Back in 1999, ICANN created 3 business user constituencies with a
total of 9 votes, all three of them essentially trademark/IPR advocacy groups, and
only one noncommercial user constituency. As a result public interest/noncommercial
voices were constantly marginalized and the IPR/trademark interests became a
dominant force in domain name policy. Later, registries and registrars were
given weighted voting, which balanced the trademark groups but gave industry
suppliers too much control. The new structure is a huge victory for a more fair
and balanced domain name policy making apparatus. It balances all stakeholder groups
evenly and requires balanced support across both houses before any proposal can
go through.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>An unfortunate but important fact about the process of
reaching this agreement is that we received very little support for balanced
representation from our colleagues in ALAC. For reasons that are not entirely
clear, the ALAC representative on the working group, a Nomcom appointee, was
exclusively concerned with retaining Nomcom appointed seats on the Council and
showed little or no concern about the broader political balance on the Council.
I will communicate more on that topic later, but this will make our joint discussions
with ALAC in the upcoming <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>
meeting interesting. Once again, I’m afraid, we see ALAC bogged down in
its own internal politics and somewhat disconnected from the larger issues. I
am sure this is something we can rectify as we engage in more discussions and education
of ALAC members. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>A general description of the new structure follows:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>General Principles of Agreement:<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><u><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>A. No single stakeholder group should have a veto for any
policy vote.<br>
B. Council recommendation of binding policy should have at least one vote of
support from at least 3 of the 4 stakeholder groups.<br>
C. Each House will determine its own composition.<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">D</st1:PersonName>. Equal number of votes between
registries and registrars.<br>
E. Equal number of votes between commercial and non-commercial users.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>New Structure:<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>One
GNSO Council with two voting “houses” – referred to as
bicameral voting – GNSO Council will meet as one, but houses may
caucus on their own as they see fit. All voting of the Council will
be counted at a house level. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Composition
– The GNSO Council would be comprised of two voting houses <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:58.5pt;text-indent:-22.5pt'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>a.
A Contracted Party House – an equal number of registry and registrar
representatives and 1 Nominating Committee appointee. The number of
registry and registrar stakeholder representatives will be determined by the
ICANN Board based on input from these stakeholder groups, but shall be no fewer
than 3 and not exceed 4 representatives for each group.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:58.5pt;text-indent:-22.5pt'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>b. A Non-Contracted
Party/User House – an equal number of commercial and non-commercial user
representatives and 1 Nominating Committee appointee. The number of
commercial and non-commercial stakeholder representatives will be determined by
the ICANN Board based on input from these stakeholder groups, but shall be no
fewer than 5 and not exceed 9 representatives for each group. </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>GNSO Council Chair</span></font></u><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>. No consensus was reached on this
point. NCUC supported having the chair be a neutral party with voting
status appointed by Nomcom. The business constituencies blocked consensus on
this and prefer to elect the Council chair by obtaining a 60% majority of
either house. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Voting thresholds (incomplete list):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=2 type=1>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=a>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Create
an Issues Report (currently 25% of vote of Council)– either greater
than 25% vote of both houses or simple majority of one house <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Initiate
a P<st1:PersonName w:st="on">D</st1:PersonName>P within Scope of the GNSO
per ICANN Bylaws and advice of ICANN GC (currently >33% of vote of
Council) -- greater than 33% vote of both houses or greater than 66% vote
of one house <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Approval
of a P<st1:PersonName w:st="on">D</st1:PersonName>P without
Super-Majority (currently >50% of vote of Council) -- Simple majority
of both houses, but requires that at least one representative of at least
3 of the 4 stakeholder groups supports <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Super-Majority
Approval of a P<st1:PersonName w:st="on">D</st1:PersonName>P (currently
>66% of vote of Council) – Greater than 75% majority in one
house and simple majority in the other<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
</ol>
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