Structural Improvements Committee Meeting Minutes
17 August 2009
SIC attendees: Roberto Gaetano – chair, Raimundo Beca, Mike Silber, and Jean-Jacques Subrenat
SIC member absent and sending apologies: Rita Rodin Johnston
Staff attendees: Ken Bour, Samantha Eisner, Dan Halloran, Rob Hoggarth, Marco Lorenzoni, Denise Michel, Margie Milam, and Amy Stathos
The following is a summary of discussions, actions taken and actions identified:
- Discussed and unanimously approved the minutes from the 15 July 2009 and 27 July 2009 meetings.
- Received an update from staff on the recommendations from the Board Review Working Group (BRWG) relating to not decreasing the size of the Board at this time and recommending an increase in the number of voting Board members. Approved of favorably receiving both recommendations and forwarding both recommendations to the Board for discussion and action, with one member abstaining on the voting director issue.
- Action:
- Staff to present SIC recommendations to the Board for discussion and action.
- Received an update from staff on the status of the ongoing reviews and the process of consultation with the NRO to proceed with the independent review of the ASO. Preliminarily discussed the potential implementation of an independent review of the Technical Liaison Group (TLG).
- Discussed and received an update from staff on the GNSO Improvements Implementation, focusing primarily on the minimum bylaws amendments required to reflect the items discussed with the community and have internally consistent bylaws in place to allow the seating of the New GNSO Council in Seoul, including a transitional modification to the PDP Annex to reflect the new bicameral structure and voting thresholds of the GNSO Council. The SIC discussed the necessity to reflect that any approval of the transitional amendment to the PDP Annex was not a suggestion that the PDP process set forth in the Annex is endorsed as the permanent process nor an endorsement that the revised PDP procedures must always be published within the bylaws, as they better reside in a GNSO Procedures document. Recognizing that the public comment period remains open on the proposed bylaws revisions, the SIC voted unanimously to give preliminary approval to the proposed bylaws amendments for the sole purpose of forwarding to the Board for review and approval in a timely fashion to allow for the seating of the New GNSO Council. The SIC will thoroughly review the amendments, and provide the Board with any comments prior to the 27 August 2009 Board meeting, and expects staff to provide any feedback arising out of the public comment period as soon as possible.
- Action:
- Staff to forward the SIC recommendation to the Board for action at the 27 August 2009 meeting.
- SIC to undertake review of the full package of the proposed bylaws amendments required to make the new GNSO Council operational and allow for seating in Seoul, and provide comments to the Board prior to Board discussion and action.
- Staff to summarize the public comment session and provide to the SIC for forwarding to the Board as soon as possible after the closure of the session, and provide any suggested changes to the proposed bylaws to the General Counsel and the Board.
- Staff to insert an explanatory note into the proposed amendments to the PDP Annex to reflect the transitional status of the amendments and the eventual move to a GNSO Procedures document.
- Staff to provide SIC with written update on other GNSO Improvements Implementation items not requiring immediate Board action to allow the seating of the Council in Seoul.
- Discussed scheduling of the upcoming SIC meeting, primarily devoted to making recommendations for Board selection of three GNSO Council members from the Non Commercial Stakeholder Group.
- Action:
- SIC to determine the level of Staff support required for the meeting.