CS, NCUC, ALAC

[Milton Mueller]

Thanks for getting the discussion started, Adam, This is exactly what I
wanted to have discussed in Lisbon at the constituency meeting.

>>> Adam Peake <ajp at glocom.ac.jp> 3/22/2007 2:23 PM >>>
>Something about this bothers me -- seems to be an assumption
>that ALAC represents civil society/non-profit interests so
>there's a natural partnership with NCUC.

civil society yes, nonprofit, not necessarily. The "naturalness" comes
from both being under represented in ICANN, and from both being more
diffuse, public interest oriented than concentrated, special economic
interest such as registrars, registries, trademark.

>Most current members of the ALAC are
>civil society oriented (and many of us know them well and
>work with them in other activities), but I am not convinced
>it's healthy for ALAC to align itself with one sector.

The LSE report recommendations don't leave much room for manuever here.
If the tripartite representation in GNSO is adopted, who will constitute
the "civil society" portion? It seems obvious to me that it should be
composed primarily of the organizations and interests that now
constitute NCUC, plus individual registrants. After all, small-scale
business users, consultants or trademark owners can join the business
users constituency, can they not? the need is for some kind of political
balance in the type of interest represented.