Pre-ICANN57 Report of the At-Large Community
What to Expect at ICANN57
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and Regional At-Large Organization (RALO) leaders will focus on several policy issues important to end-users. These include the ongoing work in the CCWG-Accountability Work Stream 2 and the GNSO PDP Working Groups, as well as the development of the At-Large Proposal on Creating A Consumer Agenda at ICANN.
Another area of focus is matters important to organizational effectiveness. Specifically, ITEMS, the independent examiner conducting the At-Large Review, will meet with the At-Large Review Working Party to present their interim research findings and their plans for developing the Draft Report scheduled to be published in early December 2016. The At-Large Board Member selection, criteria and expectations of At-Large Structures (ALSes), as well as the FY18 budget and special request process will also be discussed.
To continue its outreach and engagement effort, At-Large leaders will meet with the NextGen students to enhance their understanding of the Community and At-Large policy issues.
Background
During ICANN56, Board Chairman Steve Crocker asked the ALAC to advise ICANN on strengthening its end user focus. In response to this request, a draft At-Large Proposal on Creating A Consumer Agenda at ICANN has been developed. It points out areas for improvement and proposes recommendations for ICANN to enhance consumer protection and end user accountability within the DNS.
The organizational review of the At-Large Community started in May 2016. In addition to assessing the effectiveness of the improvements resulting from the previous Review conducted in 2008, this Review aims to (1) acknowledge areas that are working well, (2) identify areas that need improvement and propose needed changes, and (3) evaluate RALOs and ALSes. To develop a sufficient basis for formulating findings and recommendations, ITEMS has conducted more than 80 interviews and reviewed 180+ responses for its global survey so far.
The Seat No.15 of the ICANN Board of Directors is dedicated to a member selected by the At-Large Community. This seat is currently occupied by Rinalia Abdul Rahim, whose 3-year term will be completed at the closing of ICANN60. The process for selecting the next Board Director began in September 2016. Currently the At-Large Community is seeking Expression of Interest (EoI) for this position. The deadline for EoI submission is on Friday, 18 November.
Much of At-Large Community’s focus has been on engagement and outreach. Regarding engagement, At-Large leaders explain the work of ICANN and At-Large via many channels and encourage ALSes to contribute to ALAC policy activities. The establishment of a dedicated taskforce to evaluate ALSes’ effectiveness is an important part of this, as are the capacity building sessions and briefings on subjects of current importance. Regarding outreach, At-Large continues to successfully recruit new members, with the number of accredited ALSes approaching 210.
Session Details
Highlights of At-Large Leadership sessions include joint meetings between the ALAC and the ICANN Board, the ccNSO, the GAC, the SSAC, and the Registries Stakeholder Group.
The RALOs will organize a series of themed meetings and events. The Asian, Australasian, and Pacific Islands Regional At-Large Organizations (APRALO) will hold four capacity building sessions for its ALS members at 12:45-13:45 on 5-8 November. The Joint APRALO Showcase and Civil Society Networking Event is on Sunday, 6 November at 18:30, celebrating Diwali in India and diversity in the region. The Joint African Regional At-Large Organization (AFRALO)-AfrICANN Meeting will be held on Monday, 7 November at 13:45. Participants will discuss their Joint Statement on the “Impact of the IANA Transition and ICANN Accountability on Africa”. North American Regional At-Large Organization (NARALO)’s “A Year in Review” meeting will take place on Sunday, 6 November at 11:00, with the attendance of the first two ICANN Tribal Ambassadors from the First Peoples communities. They are funded by ICANN via the NARALO initiated Tribal Ambassadorship Pilot Project.
Wednesday, 9 November will be the dedicated to the development sessions for the ongoing and incoming ALAC Members and Liaisons and RALO leaders. These sessions will include teambuilding exercise to enhance collaboration and help the At-Large leaders work effectively as a virtual global team in between ICANN meetings. There will also be professional skills development and other activities.
For details of all At-Large sessions, including meeting of At-Large working groups, committees, and RALOs, click here.