[governance] ICANN RFC on its performance

[carlos a. afonso]

CGI.br, the Brazilian organization running ".br", a pluralist
(multistakeholder) organization, records all of its board meetings,
which are available for public scrutiny.

The board includes a balanced representation of government, NGOs,
private sector and academia (non-governmental members are elected by
their peers in a direct online election).

None of us, board members, have found this contrary to nature, reason,
or common sense (aka "preposterous").

--c.a.

-----Original Message-----
From: Avri Doria <avri at psg.com>
To: Governance Caucus <governance at lists.cpsr.org>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 07:51:19 +0200
Subject: Re: [governance] ICANN RFC on its performance

> hi,
> 
> Just repsoning to the idea of the recording of board meetings.
> 
> On 14 maj 2007, at 00.43, Veni Markovski wrote:
> 
> >
> >> Recommendation: All meetings of the Board of Directors and of its 
> >> committees should be audio-recorded and made available to the  
> >> public. No matter may be elided except after an on-record decision
>  
> >> that a particular matter should be discussed off the audio  
> >> recording.  Only matters pertaining to personnel matters,  
> >> litigation (or potential litigation), and contract negotiations  
> >> may be discussed off the audio record.
> 
> I am answering this as a member of the ICANN GNSO Council were every 
> word we say is record and most are transcribed.  And where all the  
> mailing lists except for the one that sends out notifications of the 
> phone numbers and codes to use for phone calls is archived and open  
> to all to read.
> 
> 
> >
> > Karl, four points here:
> > a) Would you agree that some people, who are non-native English  
> > speakers may have problems having their words recorded?
> 
> That is the case in the GNSO.  I think all people have trouble  
> knowing their words are recorded to some extent, but you get used to 
> it.  There are those who are not 'english as a first language'  
> speakers in the group.  And it is hard to say who has more trouble  
> making themselves understood, some of us who speak native English  
> circuitously with awkward phrasing and slang or some ESL speakers who
>  
> speak clearly with erudition.
> 
> 
> > b) Do you think that with 15 people from 10 countries, from  
> > different cultures, etc., if something bad was happening, it will  
> > remain unnoticed? Because if you do believe that, then you think  
> > the constantyl-changing-board is some kind of a secret group, which
>  
> > discusses something behind hidden doors, in hiding, or working in  
> > deep under cover.
> 
> Well it is noticed, but it is noticed in the form of rumor and  
> hearsay.  And is not sometimes noticed in a timely manner.
> 
>  From my experience, there are some people who listen to all  
> recordings and read all of the GNSO transcripts, and I often get  
> email with opinions, opinions that are often helpful, within days and
>  
> sometimes hours of one of my errant utterances or a question i  
> speculate about.  Being as open as we can be allows people to comment
>  
> on things currently under discussion.  and this is helpful, not only 
> for transparency' sake but for getting the work done.
> 
> > c) I was personally against audio-recroding, and I am happy that  
> > today there are detailed minutes. Wouldn't you agree that the  
> > minutes today are different from the ones earlier?
> 
> Minutes are certainly useful, but minutes are fragmentary and, from  
> my experience in other groups, are often severely redacted.   I don't
>  
> know if that is the case with the ICANN board.
> 
> > d) Unlike you, I've lived in a state, where not only all mine, my  
> > father's and grandfather's meetings were audio-recorded. Actually  
> > since 1975, after my father's death in a car accident,  also all  
> > our phone calls were recorded, and my grandfather was followed 24  
> > hrs/day by a body guard, who was reporting every move of his. I  
> > don't want this to happen to any director in the 21st century, at  
> > least not against her or his will. If they all agree - fine, but if
>  
> > even one feels monitored, and it is not in the by-laws, so that  
> > they would have know beforehand about this requirement, then I am  
> > for their free will, not yours. Sorry.
> 
> I knew coming into the GNSO that is was all recorded.  Nobody made me
>  
> accept it.  And if I was uncomfortable with it, I could leave the  
> council and no longer have any of my words recorded by ICANN. I don't
>  
> think the comparison of the GNSO recording my meeting words is on a  
> par with governments recording my words surreptitiously. (I don't  
> think anyone is following me about 24/7, but then again I am only on 
> the council not the board)
> 
> Having lived under a regime of recorded phone calls for 2 years now, 
> I have to state that I think it is a good thing and now advocate it  
> for every group I am involved with.  I think it would be a good thing
>  
> if the ICANN board were to reconsider it and were to take the GSNO  
> council experience into account.  It may seem very scary at first,  
> but the sky does not fall in.
> 
> a.
> 
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