[ncdnhc-discuss] Fwd: CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP

[Hans Klein]

>Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 15:47:02 -0400
>To: civsoc at cpsr.org
>From: civsoc at cpsr.org
>Subject: CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP
>
>
>CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP
>
>27 July 2002
>
>Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) participates in 
>the ICANN process via the CPSR Civil Society Democracy Project 
>(www.CivSoc.org).  CPSR/CivSoc offers the following statement about its 
>activities that relate to the At Large Membership.
>
>CPSR/CivSoc is participating in the At Large Organizing Committee (ALOC), 
>led by Denise Michel and with active participation of Esther Dyson and 
>other individuals.   (See www.at-large.org).  To avoid any confusion that 
>this participation might create, we wish to clarify our views on the 
>status and substantive recommendations of the ALOC.
>
>User representation on the ICANN board was the cornerstone of DNS 
>privatization in 1998, and to the extent that the ALOC's activities 
>contribute to the implementation of this, then CPSR/CivSoc supports those 
>activities. All efforts to implement user representation in ICANN -- be 
>they from the ALOC, the Interim Coordinating Committee 
>(www.ICANNmembers.org), the NAIS, or the ALSC - are to be commended.
>
>We hasten to point out that the ALOC possesses no special status to 
>represent the user in ICANN processes.  The ALOC is one voice in the 
>on-going effort to implement user representation in ICANN.  Its claim to 
>represent 500,000 users is, in our opinion, not convincing (the numbers 
>derive from one organization's claims of user representation: 
>www.cecua.org.)  Furthermore, the fact that many of the ALOC's 
>participants have little history of participation in ICANN activities 
>lessens its credibility.  Nonetheless, every effort, regardless of its 
>limitations, in support of user representation in ICANN is important and 
>useful.
>
>CPSR/CivSoc does not support any activities or positions of the ALOC that 
>are contrary to the terms of Internet privatization.  CPSR/CivSoc does not 
>support relegating users to an "advisory" role, doing away with direct 
>elections, or abandoning the principle of balanced representation between 
>users and industry experts.  We note that many - and, by our tally, most - 
>members of ALOC support direct elections of user representatives to the 
>ICANN board.
>
>ICANN can best gain legitimacy by implementing the terms of the 1998 
>privatization agreement.  User representation on the board and direct 
>elections are essential aspects of that.  CPSR/CivSoc's participation in 
>ALOC and other user-related activities are done in order to achieve 
>implementation of those agreements.
>
>###