Cybersecurity

ICANN: Proposed Revisions to Chapters 3 and 4 of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures Relating to Proxy Voting

ICANN logoSection I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose

The GNSO Council recently identified areas for improvement in the GNSO Council Operating Procedures gnso.icann.org/council/gnso-op-procedures-05aug10-en.pdf [PDF, 427 KB] that would simplify and clarify the procedures relating to proxy voting. At its meeting in Singapore on 22 June 2011 the GNSO Council approved a resolution https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocouncilmeetings/Motions+22+June+2011 directing Staff to produce a redlined revision of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures incorporating proposed revisions and to post this document for twenty-one (21) days in the ICANN Public Comment Forum. ICANN Staff is seeking comments on Proposed Revisions to Chapters 3 and 4 of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures Relating to Proxy Voting [PDF,158 KB].

Section II: Background

The GNSO Council recently identified areas for improvement in the GNSO Council Operating Procedures http://gnso.icann.org/council/gnso-op-procedures-05aug10-en.pdf [PDF, 427 KB] that would simplify and clarify the procedures relating to proxy voting and tasked the Operations Steering Committee (OSC) with completing a revision to improve the procedures.  On 14 June 2011 the OSC submitted to the GNSO Council recommended revisions. At its meeting in Singapore on 22 June 2011 the GNSO Council acknowledged receipt of the recommended revisions submitted by the OSC and approved a resolution https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocouncilmeetings/Motions+22+June+2011 directing Staff to produce a redlined revision of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures incorporating the recommended revisions and to post this document for twenty-one (21) days in the ICANN Public Comment Forum.   The proposed revisions affect the following sections of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures:  Chapter 3 GNSO Council Meetings, Section 3.8 Absences and Vacancies; Chapter 4 Voting, Section 4.5.3 Remedies to Avoid Abstaining on a Vote; 4.5.3b Proxy Voting; and 4.5.3c Temporary Alternate.

The OSC found that the original procedures could be simplified and also that they contradicted the internal procedures of certain constituencies. The OSC simplified the procedures in terms of how the proxy giver assigns a vote to the proxy holder.  In particular, the proxy giver can give the proxy to any other Councilor.  The revision does, however, maintain the requirement that a Council member is not permitted to be a proxy holder for more than one proxy giver.  The OSC also simplified the procedures in terms of the proxy vote to three rules: 1) it may either be directed, if applicable, by the proxy giver’s appointing organization; 2) the proxy giver may instruct the proxy holder how to cast the vote; 3) in the absence of any instruction the proxy holder may vote freely on conscience.

Section III: Document and Resource Links

Comment Period Deadlines

Open Date: 19 July 2011
Close Date: 9 August 2011

Important Information Links

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This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-19jul11-en.htm