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

[Wisdom Donkor]

Dear colleagues,

There is a typo at the end of the 4th paragraph of my last message: it
should read "but it does not avoid"

Thank you,

*Wisdom Donkor* (CASP+,  CISM, CEH Certified,)
NCUC EC
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 Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 12:00 AM Wisdom Donkor <wisdom.dk at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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