Secret Board Briefings a Method of ICANN Capture

[Robin Gross]

Thanks, Adam.  Yes, this is something that noncommercial users have  
been saying for some time now.  Even in the GNSO's PPSC working  
group, NCSG, Registrars and CSG members all raised concerns on this  
point of the secret board briefing papers and the need for these to  
be made public - including pre-existing ones.

Time to shed the Clear Light of Day on what goes on behind the scenes  
with the policy staff's manipulation of the process by managing all  
the pieces - like the Board.

I would definitely support a joint statement from ALAC and NCSG on  
this issue.   Shall we begin the process to make this happen?

Thanks,
Robin


On Mar 10, 2010, at 5:48 AM, Adam Peake wrote:

> One of the issues ALAC has been asking for in the discussions about  
> improving transparency is briefing docs provided prior to board  
> meetings (particularly on issues the board will be taking action  
> on) must be made public.  With the usual exclusions for any  
> documents confidential for legal, personal/personnel etc reasons.
>
> Perhaps we could agree on this?
>
> Adam
>
>
> At 2:10 AM -0800 3/10/10, Robin Gross wrote:
>> Important new blog post from Avri about how ICANN policy staff  
>> continues to spread lies to Board about non-commercial users.   
>> Disappointing, although not surprising.....
>>
>> <http://avri.doria.org/post/438544387/secret-board-briefings-a- 
>> method-of-icann-capture>http://avri.doria.org/post/438544387/ 
>> secret-board-briefings-a-method-of-icann-capture
>>
>> Secret Board Briefings a Method of ICANN Capture
>>
>> While in a meeting with Board members, a member of my Stakeholder  
>> group had an opportunity to read part of one page of the Policy  
>> Staff¹s briefing report to the Board from across the table (some  
>> of us read documents upside down better the we read right side up.)
>>
>> In this case it was all they could do to refrain themself from  
>> standing up and yelling ³the staff lies.²   The lies in this case  
>> were repeated lies first invented by the Commercial Stakeholder  
>> Group (CSG) about the Non Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) -  
>> that the most diverse Stakeholder group in the GNSO was not  
>> diverse enough. The same group that seem to stand against all  
>> types of diversity requirement in every discussion.
>>
>> That this absurd accusation was made by a group that needs an  
>> exception from the geographical diversity clause for council  
>> member elections was not enough to show its absurdity and  
>> motivated the Board¹s unjust behavior toward the NCSG in last  
>> years Council member appointments (though we dearly love our Board  
>> appointed council members and fully accepted them as part of Œus¹,  
>> the method of their section was wrong and is a slow wound to heal).
>>
>> That the non commercial constituency was singled out in the LSE  
>> report on the GNSO as the most diverse of constituencies was also  
>> not sufficient to put lie to the statement. And now the Staff  
>> makes the great lie even greater by including it in the Policy  
>> Staff¹s briefing papers.
>>
>> The Board often talks about avoiding capture.  Capture has already  
>> occurred and it is the Policy Staff with its power to whisper lies  
>> into the ears of the Board that this capture is maintained and  
>> cemented.  Decisions are being made based on false information.
>>
>> How many lies about how many things would we find in a proper  
>> review of the Policy Briefings to the Board?
>>
>> How many decisions have been made based upon false information fed  
>> to the Board by the Policy Staff?
>>
>> This has to stop now!
>>
>> All Board briefing except those on truly confidential matters,  
>> must be made public immediately.
>> All recent Board briefings on which the Board has based its  
>> decisions must be released immediately.
>> All future Board briefings must be released to the public at the  
>> same time they are distributed to the Board.
>> Additionally, in its review of transparency I hope the AOC Review  
>> Panel takes this pernicious practice to task.
>>
>> I understand that the ICANN Policy Staff has a new leader, and in  
>> my first brief meeting with David Olive, I have hope that things  
>> may change.  Then again, when Rod Beckstrom first became CEO, I  
>> had hope that things would change.
>>
>> And my hope is still waiting.
>>
>> I have admitted my great affection/addiction for ICANN on numerous  
>> occasions, but I really do fear that ICANN¹s soul has been  
>> captured by the Policy Staff and I worry that it may never recover  
>> unless some major changes happen real soon now.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> IP JUSTICE
>> Robin Gross, Executive Director
>> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
>> p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
>> w: <http://www.ipjustice.org>http://www.ipjustice.org  e:  
>> <mailto:robin at ipjustice.org>robin at ipjustice.org




IP JUSTICE
Robin Gross, Executive Director
1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org



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