PETER DENGATE THRUSH: WHICH BRINGS US TO ANOTHER ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE ICANN MULTISTAKEHOLDER MODEL, THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN. THE OMBUDSMAN IS AVAILABLE TO RECEIVE, INVESTIGATE INQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS MADE BY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY TREATED BY SOME ASPECT OF THE ICANN PROCESS. THE OMBUDSMAN IS MR. FRANK FOWLIE, AND I INVITE FRANK TO GIVE THE OMBUDSMAN REPORT.
>>FRANK FOWLIE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I WILL TRY MY BEST TO KEEP YOU ON TIME. MY REPORT HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE SITE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND THE ONLY BUSINESS THAT I HAVE IS SIMPLY TO ASK THE CORPORATE SECRETARY TO TABLE MY FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT TO THE BOARD AT THIS MEETING AS IS REQUIRED BY BYLAW 5.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: WONDERFULLY BRIEF. I'M SURE THE SECRETARY HAS NOTED THAT REQUEST, AND THE BYLAWS WILL BE COMPLIED WITH. OTHERWISE, THERE WILL BE A COMPLAINT TO THE OMBUDSMAN.
>>FRANK FOWLIE: I THINK I WOULD TAKE THAT ONE INTO MY JURISDICTION AND COULD PROBABLY PREDICT THE OUTCOME.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: CONSTANT WORK GENERATION. THANKS, FRANK. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE OMBUDSMAN? IS THAT A QUESTION AT THE BACK? I HAVE A QUESTION OF THAT QUESTIONER. WHY IS THAT BOARD MEMBER NOT SITTING DOWN HERE WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD? ARE YOU DONE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, BRUCE?
>>BRUCE TONKIN: I SIT WHERE THERE'S POWER, AND POWER IS HERE RIGHT NOW. REFERRING TO ELECTRICITY, OF COURSE. MY QUESTION FOR THE OMBUDSMAN, I'M INTERESTED TO UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE THESE ICANN MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE WORD, AND THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE UNDERTAKINGS.
MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GETTING MUCH INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY HERE WHEN YOU DID HAVE THESE FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS? IN OTHER WORDS, ARE PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR PHYSICAL PRESENCE HERE TO RAISE ISSUES WITH YOU? AND DO YOU HAVE SEE ANY VARIATION GEOGRAPHICALLY WITH THE KIND OF RESPONSE YOU GET DEPENDING ON WHICH PART OF THE WORLD YOU ARE IN?
>>FRANK FOWLIE: THANK YOU, BRUCE. THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION. I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO THAT. THE FIRST FACTOR IS WHAT IS BEFORE ICANN AND ITS DISCUSSIONS AT THE CONTEMPORARY MOMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN THE ISSUES BEFORE ICANN HAVE CAUSED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO SEEK ME OUT DURING THE ICANN MEETINGS TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS, AND AT OTHER MEETINGS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN LESS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES BEFORE THE BOARD AND THE ORGANIZATION, THE NUMBER OF VISITS DROPS OFF.
THE SECOND ISSUE THAT PROVIDES BACKGROUND ON THAT IS THE ACCESSIBILITY OF MY OFFICE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WERB TO MAKE COMPLAINTS. I HAVE MADE A NOTATION IN MY ANNUAL REPORT THIS YEAR AND RECOMMEND THAT MY OFFICE BE IN MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS.
THOSE THAT ARE AWARE OF THE OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE COMPLAINT PORTAL AND E-MAIL TO CONTACT ME. BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS INFORMED ABOUT THE INSTITUTION OF THE OMBUDSMAN AND ICANN'S OMBUDSMAN SPECIFICALLY, IF — IN MY OPINION, IF THE OFFICE IS FAR REMOVED FROM THE MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE MEETING, IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THOSE INTERACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE.
I WOULD SAY IN THOSE MEETINGS WHERE THE OMBUDSMAN'S PHYSICAL OFFICE HAS BEEN LOCATED CLOSER TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MAIN GROUP THAT VOLUMES HAVE BEEN GREATER THAN THOSE IN OTHER MEETINGS WHERE THE OFFICE HAS BEEN REMOVED.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANKS, FRANK. BRUCE, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE OMBUDSMAN? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRANK.