[governance] ICANN taxes/fees (was: Caucus at IGF stock taking meeting)

[George Sadowsky]

Comments inserted below...

At 4:45 PM +0100 2/3/07, Ralf Bendrath wrote:
>Interesting debate. I have adapted the subject line.
>
>George Sadowsky wrote:
>>IGF is a discussion forum.  It has no role ion global public policy
>>making.
>Wait a second. From the Tunis Agenda:
>
>"72.(...) The mandate of the Forum is to:
>a) Discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet
>governance
>(...)
>g) Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant
>bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make recommendations;
>(...)
>k) Help to find solutions to the issues arising from the use and misuse of
>the Internet, of particular concern to everyday users;
>(...)
>77. The IGF would have no oversight function and would not replace
>existing arrangements, mechanisms, institutions or organisations, but
>would involve them and take advantage of their expertise. It would be
>constituted as a neutral, non-duplicative and non-binding process. It
>would have no involvement in day-to-day or technical operations of the
>Internet."

This may be the wording of the Tunis agenda, but in fact, I believe 
that both Nitin desai and Markus Kummer have stressed that the 
purpose of the IGF is discussion, and that appears to be the opinion 
of members of the advisory committee also.  There may have been some 
rethinking about the mandate of the IGF after Tunis; I'm not sure.

One of the members of the Advisory Committee pointed out that one 
reason that Athens worked so well, and that there was so much 
pleasant mixing of people from different sectors, was that there were 
no decisions to be made, and no statements that would have to be 
crafted.   I agree with his assessment.

So I take your point about the Tunis agenda, but what is happening 
contradicts it, and for the best, I think.

The concept of non-binding recommendations is interesting.  I think 
even that would lead to a fundamental shift in the IGF milieu. 
Consider the United nations, for example, where sovereign nations 
generally do not consider UN decisions binding upon them.  Yet the 
way in which UN resolutions are formulated  apparently requires a 
highly politicized environment.  Further, if you've ever sat in on UN 
meetings in New York (I worked there for 13 years), the discussion is 
formal, verbose, indirect and generally not conducive to a free and 
frank exchange of views.  Let's keep the ambience of the IGF the way 
it was in Athens.

>
>So, the IGF can discuss public policy issues, make recommendations, find
>solutions etc. They only are non-binding. But a lot of global public
>policy is being coordinated in a non-binding way nowadays. That's why you
>call it "governance", not "government".




Hmm... Governance _sometimes_ is binding, at least the way I think of 
the term.  for example, the pilot of an airplane has governance 
responsibility for the plane when it is in the air, and it _is_ 
binding.  The Pope has governance responsibility for the Catholic 
Church, and it is binding on cardinals, bishops, and priests, and 
presumably at least morally binding on adherents.

>
>>>IGF is in any case already financed through the UN which itself is 
>>>financed through the taxes we pay....
>Not exactly:
>"The IGF Secretariat's activities are funded through extra-budgetary
>contributions paid into a Trust Fund administered by the United Nations.
>Pledges and contributions have been received so far from the following
>donors."
>http://www.intgovforum.org/funding.htm


Yes, that is correct, and it's only the Secretariat that is financed 
in that way.  If you look at all the money spent on the IGF, most of 
it comes from disparate sources  --  organizations, other 
governments, industry, etc.  Thanks for pointing that out.

>
>>ICANN uses funds in a manner consistent with its mandate.  Please 
>>provide examples of use of ICANN funds that are completely 
>>inconsistent
>>  with its mandate.
>That is not the question (well, of course you could question why
>Californian lawyers have to make a fortune e.g. from applicants for new
>gTLDs, but this is not the issue here). The question was if adding funding
>  for the IGF would be inconsistent with ICANN's mandate.

ICANN is constantly being criticized for expanding its mandate beyond 
the narrow technical purposes that define its boundaries, i.e. 
"mission creep."  Can you imagine what the diversion of significant 
funding from it to the IGF would cause those critics to do?  "ICANN 
is active in the political arena!" they would comlain, and rightly so.

>
>Best, Ralf


Regards,

George

-- 

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George Sadowsky                          george.sadowsky at attglobal.net
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