[NCUC-EC] [Ext] Re: NCUC Travel Support

[Wisdom Donkor]

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for the messages on the travel allocation for the next ICANN
meeting. I take the concerns seriously, and I want to set out fully and
transparently how the decision was reached, because they touch on fairness,
rotation, and regional balance. I also want to use this moment to propose
something concrete for how we handle these questions going forward.

Let me begin with the point that matters most to the two of you who raised
it most directly. You were each selected for a travel slot for the previous
meeting, and the fact that you could not ultimately travel for reasons that
were entirely beyond your control sadly can’t change the fact that the
slots were consumed and no other member could have used it. What our Travel
Policy says, in the specific section “Procedures for EC funding
allocation", is “5. As described in Eligibility criteria, EC who have
received travel support for the previous meeting cannot apply again”.

While NCUC does not yet have a specific written provision governing
visa-related situations, the NCSG's own rules on this matter establish a
relevant standard we can apply by analogy: members are expected to inform
the Chair at least one month before the event if their visa has not been
issued, so that options can be explored in time. This happened with Sara
Ali last year, and we were able to transfer her slot due to her warning
about the visa problem.

Not being able to attend the meeting because of visa issues prevents the
incidence of rule n. 7 of our Travel Policy (“If a representative receives
support, and does not meet their commitments as outlined above, they will
be ineligible to receive further NCUC resources.”), but it does avoid an EC
travel slot being consumed.

The rotation criterion in our Travel Policy means that colleagues who were
most recently allocated slots can not be selected again. With only two
slots available, funding the same two representatives for consecutive
meetings would have kept others waiting still longer, and the two member
who received it are leaving the NCUC EC after ICANN 87. The allocation for
this meeting therefore stands.

It may help to explain why the two slots were available to the colleagues
who received them. The APAC representative's participation could be
supported through CROP. CROP is allocated by our EC, but it is a different
instrument from the travel slots: regional in nature and drawn from a
separate ICANN program. With the APAC representative able to take that
route, the two travel slots were open to two other representatives.
I also want to address the concern that some colleagues seem to attend
almost every meeting, because it rests on a distinction we should all hold
clearly. NCUC EC travel slots are separate from other NCUC EC funding (as
we can see explicitly in our Travel Policy), NCSG EC slots, GNSO Council
allocations, CROP, ICANN Fellowships, and even sources external do NCSG, as
was the case at least once. Our Travel Policy's rotation principle applies
to the NCUC travel slots specifically, and even separates NCUC EC travel
allocation from other NCUC funded ones. Even where our EC selects who
receives CROP, that remains a regional outreach instrument of a different
nature, not a NCUC EC one. Measured by NCUC travel slots alone, the
impression of colleagues travelling on NCUC resources meeting after meeting
does not hold.

Of the two representatives selected, one has not travelled with a NCUC EC
slot this year. The other received one as NCUC EC at the first meeting of
the year, which was his first one in three mandates – all the other slots
received were related to other roles he was filling or separate selection
processes.

I am committed to transparency on the figures. The relevant record for
these decisions is the history of NCUC travel slots, which we maintain, and
I will circulate a consolidated breakdown to the EC so that everyone sees
the same picture I worked from.

I do not, however, want the procedure to stand in the way of the
consultation this committee deserves. The concerns raised here,
particularly how we should treat a slot lost to circumstances beyond a
member's control and how we ensure the distinction between funding streams
is consistently understood, point to a genuine gap in our documented
principles. I therefore propose that we put travel allocation on the agenda
for our next EC call, with the explicit aim of agreeing on written criteria
that will govern all future rounds, and can modify our current policies.
I value every one of you and the work you do for NCUC. Your concerns are
noted, and I hope this explains both the basis for the decision and my
commitment to handling these matters openly.

*Wisdom Donkor* (CASP+,  CISM, CEH Certified,)
NCUC Chair,
Tel: +233 20 812 8851
Skype: wisdom_dk | Facebook: kwasi wisdom |  Twitter: @wisdom_dk
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ICANN GNSO Council Member | ICANN transfer policy review working group
Member  | Council Committee for Overseeing and Implementing Continuous
Improvement (CCOICI) | UN IGF MAG Member | IGF Support Fund Association
Executive Committee Member, World Bank Independent Consultant | AU AFIGF
Member |  Ghana OGP Advisory Committee member | GSS SDGs Advisory Committee
Member
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Specialization:
E-government Network Infrastructure and E-application, Internet
Governance,  Open Data policies platforms & Community Development, Cyber
Security, Geospatial Technologies, Open Source Technologies, Domain Name
Systems, Human Resource Planning and Development, Software Engineering,
Event Planning & Management,


On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 8:54 PM Hfaiedh Ines via NCUC-EC <
ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org> wrote:

> Thank you Andrea and colleagues for the feedback.
>
> Indeed , key details on travel allocation are missing and accounting for
> different slots is pivotal if fairness and transparency is the objective.
> ICANN staff can give us the fuller details and the comprehensive travel
> slots allocation stating the nature of the slot NCSG, NCUC and CROP slots..
> from what I know however, some colleagues have been attending every single
> ICANN event or almost all through those ICANN NCSG constituency different
> ressources (not speaking about Fellowships or self-funding).
>
> Hence there is no fairness or regional representation equality at all
> between attending all or almost all meetings and attending zero or close to
> zero meetings.
>
> Again, I wish all to attend but not at the detriment of other colleagues.
> I hope we can find a way in a consultative and fair manner.
>
>
>
>
> Le sam. 20 juin 2026, 19:14, Namra N via NCUC-EC <ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org>
> a écrit :
>
>> I need to get back on this. Wisdom this is a consultative process. You
>> are missing key details here.
>>
>> Please account for who has been traveling maybe on different slots too
>> and I remember giving up my slot and taking up crop to make space for other
>> members.
>>
>> As a chair, the council exists to suggest/ advise you. You cannot
>> unilaterally decide and expect people to oblige.
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 20, 2026 at 11:31 Andrea Glandon via NCUC-EC <
>> ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> Travel funding cannot be transferred between meetings. Once the funding
>>> is lost, it is gone.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Andrea
>>>
>>> On Jun 19, 2026, at 8:23 AM, Amin Hacha via NCUC-EC <
>>> ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> Dear Andrea,
>>>
>>> I was just wondering whether, since Iness did not receive her visa for
>>> ICANN86, it might be possible for the ICANN travel support to allocate the
>>> budget for her trip to be transferred to ICANN87, or if that would not be
>>> possible.
>>>
>>> Just a thought.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Amine
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jun 19, 2026 at 11:19 AM Hfaiedh Ines via NCUC-EC <
>>> ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Wisdom
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for your email but I am sorry to disagree here. I find this
>>>> utterly unfair to me and here I am speaking on my own behalf.
>>>>
>>>> Seeing the statistics you shared, some colleagues have already had
>>>> NCUC, CROP and NCSG slots during this term and the previous one.
>>>>
>>>> Me on the contrary I did not any sort of any ICANN ressouced slot
>>>> neither in this term or the previous one.
>>>>
>>>> Added to that, I did not travel to this ICANN 87 meeting due to reasons
>>>> beyond my control and I have followed and applied for the visa to Spain
>>>> early and with complete documents and full communication with ICANN travel
>>>> team. I did not cancel the trip myself.
>>>>
>>>> I wish to all the EC team to attend through ICANN ressources or else
>>>> but I am sorry to not accept being treated unfairly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Le ven. 19 juin 2026, 10:01, Wisdom Donkor via NCUC-EC <
>>>> ncuc-ec at lists.ncuc.org> a écrit :
>>>>
>>> Dear EC,
>>>>> Regarding ICANN 87 travel. I requested the travel statistics, and I
>>>>> am happy to share them with the EC.
>>>>>
>>>>> See below the travel statistics:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ICANN82
>>>>>
>>>>> Wisdom Donkor
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC chair
>>>>>
>>>>> Amin Hacha
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC EC
>>>>>
>>>>> Mili Semlani
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC EC
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ICANN83
>>>>>
>>>>> Wisdom Donkor
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC chair
>>>>>
>>>>> Namra Naseer
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC EC
>>>>>
>>>>> Sara Ali
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC EC
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ICANN84
>>>>>
>>>>> Wisdom Donkor
>>>>>
>>>>> NCUC chair
>>>>>
>>>>> Mili Semlani
>>>>>
>>>>> AP rep
>>>>>
>>>>> trip canceled by EC
>>>>>
>>>>> Amin Hacha
>>>>>
>>>>> EU rep
>>>>>
>>>>> ICANN85
>>>>>
>>>>> Wisdom Donkor
>>>>>
>>>>> chair
>>>>>
>>>>> Pedro
>>>>>
>>>>> EC LAC
>>>>>
>>>>> Juliana
>>>>>
>>>>> EC AP
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ICANN86
>>>>>
>>>>> Wisdom Donkor
>>>>>
>>>>> chair
>>>>>
>>>>> Namra Naseer
>>>>>
>>>>> Did not travel/Visa
>>>>>
>>>>> Ines
>>>>>
>>>>> Did not travel/Visa
>>>>>
>>>>> Based on the statistics and in the interest of fairness and balanced
>>>>> regional representation, I am approving the following candidates for ICANN
>>>>> 87:
>>>>>
>>>>>    1. *Pedro*
>>>>>    2. *Amin*
>>>>>
>>>>> In addition, *Juliana* will be supported through the CROP programme
>>>>> to help mobilise and strengthen participation from her region:
>>>>>
>>>>> I also understand that there is one GNSO Council travel slot that may
>>>>> become available, which could potentially be allocated to another member of
>>>>> the Executive Committee. In any case, we still have some time before final
>>>>> decisions need to be made.
>>>>>
>>>>> Andrea will continue to provide guidance and updates as the process
>>>>> unfolds to ensure that no travel slot goes unused, as unfortunately
>>>>> occurred in the case of ICANN 86. This will help us maximise available
>>>>> opportunities and ensure effective representation of the constituency.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> *Wisdom Donkor* (CASP+,  CISM, CEH Certified,)
>>>>> Chair, NCUC
>>>>> Tel: +233 20 812 8851
>>>>> Skype: wisdom_dk | Facebook: kwasi wisdom |  Twitter: @wisdom_dk
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>>>> ICANN GNSO Council Member | ICANN transfer policy review working
>>>>> group Member  | Council Committee for Overseeing and Implementing
>>>>> Continuous Improvement (CCOICI) | UN IGF MAG Member | IGF Support
>>>>> Fund Association Executive Committee Member, World Bank Independent
>>>>> Consultant | AU AFIGF Member |  Ghana OGP Advisory Committee member | GSS
>>>>> SDGs Advisory Committee Member
>>>>>
>>>>> ____________________________________________________________________________________________
>>>>> Specialization:
>>>>> E-government Network Infrastructure and E-application, Internet
>>>>> Governance,  Open Data policies platforms & Community Development, Cyber
>>>>> Security, Geospatial Technologies, Open Source Technologies, Domain Name
>>>>> Systems, Human Resource Planning and Development, Software Engineering,
>>>>> Event Planning & Management,
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> NCUC-EC at lists.ncuc.org
>>>>>
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