ALAC-Related Bylaw Amendments Are Now Before SIC

At a Glance

One recommendation coming out of the 2008 review of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) focused on the need to amend ICANN’s Bylaws to reflect the ALAC’s continuing role within ICANN. The resulting amendments are now before the Structural Improvements Committee (SIC), awaiting handover to the Board for approval at the ICANN Singapore Meeting in June.

Background

The ALAC/At-Large Improvements Project grew out of the ALAC’s 2008 independent review, mandated by the ICANN Bylaws. Based on the findings, the Review Working Group on ALAC Improvements developed 13 recommendations for the ALAC and At-Large, published in the WG’s Final Report.

The ALAC established four working teams (WTs) assigned to propose implementation plans for these recommendations.

The Improvements Project has truly been a bottom-up endeavor. Each WT includes members from all five of At-Large’s Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), and the majority of WT co-chairs are, in fact, At-Large members who do not serve on the ALAC.

Affirming the ALAC’s continuing purpose

One recommendation in the Review WG’s Final Report focuses on the need to amend ICANN’s Bylaws to reflect the ALAC’s continuing purpose within ICANN in four ways:

• In providing advice on policy;
• In providing input into ICANN’s operations and structure;
• As part of ICANN’s accountability mechanisms; and
• As an organizing mechanism for some of ICANN’s outreach.

Furthermore, the Final Report acknowledges that the ALAC, as the representative body of At-Large, is ICANN’s primary organizational home for individual Internet users.

To comply with these aspects of the Final Report, the ICANN Office of the General Counsel, the ALAC, and At-Largestaff drafted a series of amendments to the Bylaws regarding the ALAC. Here is the primary new language:

The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is the primary organizational home within ICANN for individual Internet users. The role of the ALAC shall be to consider and provide advice on the activities of ICANN, insofar as they relate to the interests of individual Internet users. This includes policies created through ICANN’s Supporting Organizations, as well as the many other issues for which community input and advice is appropriate. The ALAC, which plays an important role in ICANN’s accountability mechanisms, also coordinates some of ICANN’s outreach to individual Internet users.

After the public comment period on these amendments revealed no opposition, the ALAC submitted them to the Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) on 3 June. If things go as the ALAC would like, the SIC will pass the amendments onto theBoard, which will approve them during ICANN’s 41st Meeting in Singapore.

For more information

Please see the main wiki page of Improvements WT A on ALAC’s continuing purpose.

Staff Contact

Seth Greene, Interim At-Large Manager