Revised Enhancing ICANN Accountability Process and Next Steps

"ICANN today [October 10, 2014] published Revised Enhancing ICANN Accountability: Process and Next Steps, a document that describes the process to examine how, from an organizational perspective, ICANN's accountability mechanisms should be strengthened to address the absence of its historical relationship with the U.S. Government." (source: ICANN)

Why the delay in releasing this until the eve of the ICANN 51 meeting in Los Angeles? "We appreciate and apologize that this is being posted so close to the ICANN meeting. However, we wanted to provide the revised process to the community so it is available for the ICANN 51 meeting." (source ICANN).

The Revised Enhancing ICANN Accountability: Process and Next Steps document can be found here [PDF, 350 KB]. A Summary Report of Public Comments received on the proposed process can be found here [PDF. 506 KB]. Public comments received can be found here.

Our (expvc.com) previous report on this matter: Enhancing ICANN Accountability, New Comment Period on Process.

Highlights/Elements of the latest Revised Enhancing ICANN Accountability Process:

• CCWG (Cross Community Working Group) for Enhancing ICANN Accountability;
• Charter (Purpose/Problem statement, goals & objectives and scope;  Deliverables, timeframes & reporting to community on progress and public comment periods (Work Plan); Membership, staffing and organization; Rules of engagement, including internal decision-making methodology, modification of the charter; Adoption of output problem/issue escalation and resolution processes in the effort);
• Meaningful opportunities for public comment and engagement of others
• Endorsement of final report/final output of the CCWG by the chartering organizations before it is submitted to the ICANN Board.
• Scope of the accountability process – two work streams "... a suggestion is that the CCWG establish two work streams or subgroups: one focused on the scope of the work on enhancing ICANN accountability in light of the changing relationship with the USG within the time frame of the transition (Work Stream 1); and a second focused on addressing topics on accountability outside the scope of Work Stream 1, which are longer term (and may include, for example, recommendations from the recent ATRT2 addressing current accountability mechanisms such as the Ombudsman, the Reconsideration process and the Independent Review process) (Work Stream 2). This could be reflected in the CCWG's Charter."
• Role of the ICANN Board of Directors: "This is a matter for the Board to address, and the Board is considering how it can provide assurance to all stakeholders that it will seriously consider and respect the recommendations arising out of the review. More information on that issue will be forthcoming."

Next Steps: "In order to hold a time and space should the community want to meet to begin discussions on next steps, there is time allotted during the ICANN51 meeting in Los Angeles, California that remains available for use by the community to begin working towards the development of the CCWG. The room is held for Monday, 13 October from 16:00 - 17:00 local time (see ICANN Accountability and Governance Cross Community Group Meeting). The PEG will continue their deliberations to identify up to 7 Advisors to serve on the CCWG. Liaisons will be identified from the ICANN Board, and the ICANN Staff representative and the ATRT expert will also need to be identified via ATRT1 and ATRT2 participants.3 It is suggested that the CCWG formation process begin with the goal of convening its first virtual meeting in mid-November 2014."

Stay tuned.

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