Global Relationships Committee Charter | As approved by the ICANN Board of Directors 5 August 2010

  1. Purpose

    The Global Relationships Committee is responsible for:

    1. Assisting the Board in developing strategies, policies and guidelines relating to strategic relationships between ICANN and other entities.
    2. Overseeing the development ofa Strategic Partnership programme that will facilitate the identifying, maintaining and strengthening of such strategic partnerships that can assist ICANN in carrying out its mission.

    3. Overseeing the performance by ICANN under its key strategic agreements.
    4. Assisting the Board in developing a policy and implementation plan for the Internationalization of ICANN.
    5. Oversee the periodic  review of ICANN’s performance in implementing the objectives of  A, B, C and D above and reporting the results of that review to the Board 
  2. Scope of Responsibilities

    The following responsibilities are set forth as a guide for fulfilling the Committee’s purposes. The Committee is authorized to carry out these activities and other actions reasonably related to the Committee’s purposes:

      1. Assisting the Board in developing strategies, policies and guidelines relating to strategic relationships between ICANN and other entities, including the following activities:

    A1. Reviewing and advising the Board on existing ICANN strategies, policies, plans, programs and activities relating to strategic relationships;

    A2. Overseeing the development and proposing to the Board new strategies, policies, plans, programs and activities relating to strategic relationships;

    A3. Monitoring the effectiveness of the processes in establishing sound bases for strategic decision making on relationships;

    A4. Ensuring that the ICANN Board stays informed on the environments in which ICANN operates, or those which could affect ICANN in order to identify potential relationship changes and advising on plans for addressing these changes as appropriate; and

    A5. Reviewing other areas of strategic relationships development as appropriate

    1. Overseeing the development of a Strategic Partnership Programme that will facilitate the identifying, maintaining and strengthening of such strategic partnerships that can assist ICANN in carrying out its mission, that programme including:

      B1. Overseeing the development of processes to maintain and enhance the existing strategic relationships ICANN has developed with partners;

      B2. Overseeing the development of processes to identify, qualify, prioritize and engage with potential strategic partners;

      B3. Overseeing the development of strategies for membership of and or engagement with selected organizations and their activities that will enhance ICANN’s mission

      B4. Periodically analysing and reviewing the effectiveness of existing strategic partnerships in relation inter alia to their contribution to the success of ICANN’s mission.

    2. Overseeing the performance by ICANN of its key strategic agreements, including by:

      C1. Monitoring the reporting by management against ICANN’s performance obligations in key strategic agreements;

      C2. Monitoring and periodically evaluating the effectiveness of the management of operational activities required under those agreements.

    3. Assisting the Board in developing a policy and implementation plans for the Internationalization of ICANN, including:

    D1. Developing policies that facilitate ICANN functioning in ways that allow it to meet all of its obligations to the global Internet community, having regard to matters such as;

        (a) ICANN’s corporate structure,

        (b) the location of ICANN offices, the  global distribution of ICANN resources, and     the geographic distribution of ICANN services,

        (c) ICANN administrative practices,

        (d) the needs of the Internet community, and

        (e) the relevant public interests.

    D2. Overseeing the management and reporting back of plans prepared and approved for the implementation of those policies.

    D3. Periodically evaluating the procedures, goals and timelines for the implementation of such policies, and reporting progress to the Board.

    1. Oversee the periodic reviewing of ICANN’s performance in A, B, C and D above and reporting the results of that review to the Board, including the analysis and evaluation of the performance of each of the objectives of Purpose ( A to D inclusive);
  3. Composition

    1. Membership: The Committee shall be comprised of at least three, but not more than five voting Board Directors and not more than 2 Liaisons, as determined and appointed annually by the Board, each of whom shall comply with the Conflicts of Interest Policy. The voting Directors shall be the voting members of the Committee. The members of the Committee shall serve at the discretion of the Board.
    2. Chair: Unless a Committee Chair is appointed by the full Board, the members of the Committee may designate its Chair from among the voting members of the Committee by majority vote of the full Committee membership.
    3. Subcommittees: The Committee may choose to organize itself into subcommittees to facilitate the accomplishment of its work. Subcommittees may include members of the ICANN community and elsewhere, who shall be bound by the applicable conflicts of interest policies
    4. Advisers: The Committee may seek approval and budget from the Board for the appointment of consultants and advisers to assist in its work as deemed necessary, and such appointees may attend the relevant parts of the Committee meetings.
  4. Meetings: The Global Relationships Committee shall meet at least three times per year, or more frequently as it deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities. The Committee's meetings may be held by telephone and/or other remote meeting technologies. Meetings may be called upon no less than forty-eight (48) hours notice by either (i) the Chair of the Committee or (ii) any two members of the Committee acting together, provided that regularly scheduled meetings generally shall be noticed at least one week in advance.
  5. Voting and Quorum: A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. Voting on Committee matters shall be on a one vote per member basis. When a quorum is present, the vote of a majority of the voting Committee members present shall constitute the action or decision of the Committee.
  6. Records of Proceedings: A preliminary report with respect to actions taken at each meeting (telephonic or in-person) of the Committee shall be recorded and distributed to committee members within two working days, and meeting minutes shall be posted promptly following approval by the Committee.
  7. Staffing: There shall be a designated ICANN Staff member responsible for support of the process and the functions of the Committee. The General Manager, Global Partnerships is expected to regularly participate in meetings of the Committee in order to provide technical advice and other relevant data to the Committee.
  8. Review: The performance of the Committee shall be reviewed annually and informally by the Committee, under procedures set out by the Board Governance Committee. The performance of the Committee shall also be formally reviewed as part of the periodic independent review of the Board and its Committees.