About Us

 

• What is the history of the ALAC?

• What are the roles of the ALAC?

• How is the ALAC structured?

• What does the ALAC do?

• What is the difference between the ALAC and At-Large?

---

What is the history of the ALAC?

Did you know the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) didn’t exist in ICANN’s original Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee structure? ALAC was created in 2002 to provide a way for active individual users of the Internet from around the world to participate in ICANN. Its structure was studied through the At-Large Advisory Committee Assistance Group, which made a proposal that was then approved by the ICANN Board. In March 2003 the ICANN Board passed a resolution appointing ten members to form the Interim ALAC, with a plan to transition to an ALAC whose members were to be selected by five geographically-based Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs). The first RALO to be accredited by ICANN was the Latin America and the Caribbean Islands region (LACRALO) in December 2006. The Interim ALAC became a full 15 Member ALAC consisting of two members selected from each of the five RALOs and one member appointed from each region by the Nominating Committee (NomCom) in June 2007.

Here is a timeline of ALAC History:

• March 1999 The Membership Advisory Committee (MAC) was formed in Singapore during the first ICANN Public Meeting. 
• May 1999 The Membership Advisory Committee met during the second ICANN Public Meeting in Berlin. It recommended a selection of the At-Large voting directors via global elections in the year 2000, starting initially with an election for one director from each of the five ICANN geographic regions. 
• November 1999 The Markle Foundation committed to support the launch of the ICANN At-Large Membership program.
• February 2000 ICANN launched a membership website for individual Internet users. Over 158,000 applications were received and by the 8 September 2000 deadline for activation, more than 76,000 members of the At-Large electorate were listed. This election held 1-10 October 2000 via online ballots was organized with the assistance of a Membership Implementation Task Force (MITF). Five new directors began their terms on the ICANN Board at the first Annual General Meeting in Los Angeles in November 2000. 
• February 2002 “President’s Report: ICANN - The Case for Reform” is released, outlining extensive reforms, many of which were adopted by the end of 2002. The report called for “Participation in Councils by Self-Organized Forums (Individuals and/or Entities with Common Interests), including potentially an At Large organization for individuals”.
• August 2002 The At-Large Advisory Committee Assistance Group made a proposal for a 15-person ALAC, which the ICANN Board approved with new bylaws in October 2002. This new model was created in order to provide a way for active individual Internet users from around the world to participate in ICANN. 
• 31 October 2002 The ICANN Board adopted new bylaws that established the ALAC and authorized its Regional At-Large Organizations. These bylaws called for the ALAC to eventually consist of ten members selected by Regional At-Large Organizations, supplemented by five members selected by the ICANN Nominating Committee. 
• March 2003 The ICANN Board appointed 15 members to form the Interim ALAC, with a plan to transition this to an ALAC composed of members selected from five geographically-based Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) and the Nominating Committee.  
• December 2003 The first set of six organizations in three geographic regions were certified as At-Large Structures to advance the informed and structured participation of individual Internet end users in ICANN: (1) Societa Internet (Europe) , (2) Arab Knowledge Management Society (AKMS) (Asia/Australia/Pacific), (3) Alfa-Redi (Latin America/Caribbean Islands), (4) Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft e.V (FITUG) (Europe), (5) Internet Society Luxembourg A.S.B.L. (Europe), (6) Internet Society Bulgaria (Europe).
• June 2007 The Interim ALAC became the ALAC, with the last RALO-appointed ALAC Members beginning their terms.
• May 2008 - June 2009 The first Organizational Review occured. 
• March 2009 93 leaders from 102 certified At-Large Structures convened for the first At-Large Summit (ATLAS I) during ICANN34 in Mexico City.
• October 2010 The new bylaws allowed the At-Large community to select a voting member of the ICANN Board. 
• June 2014 136 members representing the more than 160 At-Large Structures convened for the second At-Large Summit during ICANN50 in London. 
• May 2016-2017 The second Organizational Review occured.
• November 2019 60 At-Large Ambassadors selected from more than 200 At-Large Structures and 80 individual RALO members convened for the third At-Large Summit during ICANN66 in Montreal.

Take the ICANN Learn Course, ICANN At-Large: Welcome to Our World for an introduction to the At-Large community and the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), how they function within the ICANN ecosystem, and how you can start and continue your involvement in the activities of the At-Large community.

Background Resources 

• At-Large ICANN Learn Courses
• Interim ALAC Report to Board on At-Large Formation Proposals

Videos