Voting Transcript of Board Meeting

(Meeting commenced at 1:05 p.m.)

Approval of ICANN's Affirmation of Responsibilities for Private Sector Management; and Approval of Joint Project Agreement between ICANN and the United States Department of Commerce

>>VINT CERF: We're going on the record to consider a proposal to adopt a new joint project agreement with the Department of Commerce which incorporates a substantial change in the text of our previous MOUs and which introduces an affirmation of responsibilities by the Board of Directors characterizing ICANN's responsibilities.

I'm now going to ask that the board members vote "yes" or "no." You are free to make comments upon your vote. And I'll start with Raimundo Beca.

Raimundo.

>>RAIMUNDO BECA: I vote against. The reason why I vote against is because the statement concerning the I.P. addressing says that the that ICANN will maintain the legal agreements with the RIRs. And, in fact, there's no such agreement to be  such a legal agreement to be maintained to the extent of the  that the there is interaction with ICANN through the NRO.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Raimundo. As before, let me invite you to provide text, if you wish, to John Jeffrey.

>>RAIMUNDO BECA: I cannot because I am on the line on a mobile phone.

>>VINT CERF: This is Vint Cerf. I vote in favor of this on the grounds that it is a major step forward in the releasing to ICANN of its own responsibilities from the Department of Commerce.

Susan Crawford?

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: Vint, thank you. I vote "yes." And I also recognize that this is a substantial step in ICANN's history.

I want to make clear my understanding that WHOIS policy can change on  following the appropriate community processes and on the approval of ICANN's board, without any further approval being required from the Department of Commerce. Thanks.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Susan.

Peter?

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: Yes, I vote "yes," and in doing that, I also recognize and applaud this major milestone in the development of ICANN.

>>VINT CERF: Demi Getschko, how do you vote?

>>DEMI GETSCHKO: I vote also "yes."

>>VINT CERF: Hagen Hultzsch?

>> HAGEN HULTZSCH: I vote "yes," and I recognize that this document is a very productive compromise on many, let's say, influences and will be beneficial to the further evolution of ICANN and the Internet community.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Hagen. And thank you for sticking with us in the time you had available.

Veni Markovski, how do you vote?

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: I vote "yes."

And I just want to add that I've wanted to see the end of the MOU for quite a while now, and this is a very good, positive sign for the global Internet community. And I really hope that ICANN will continue to improve, even though I will not be part of the board to see that happening as an insider.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Veni. I hope we'll have plenty of interaction with you, regardless of the positions you might hold.

Alex Pisanty, how do you vote?

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: Vint, I will vote in favor.

Can you hear me well?

>>VINT CERF: Yes. Go ahead.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: I will vote in favor. I subscribe completely to the comments that Susan Crawford has made on WHOIS in the sense that we  I understand also that we are to continue the policy development in that field.

Further, I think that the relationship with the RIRs has been a positive one, and I am confident that we will be able to further deal with the arguments posited by Raimundo. And I feel, therefore, confident in voting in favor of the agreement.

I think that this also has to be an incitement to the whole community around ICANN to continue to build up solid institutions that will be able to increase its autonomy significantly to the point that we have looked forward to by the next renewal or before.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you very much, Alex.

Hualin Qian, how do you vote?

>>HUALIN QIAN: I vote in favor.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you very much.

Njeri Rionge, how do you vote?

>>NJERI RIONGE: I vote in favor and congratulate staff and Paul for the work that they have put into this exercise to bring it to where it is today.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Njeri.

Rita Rodin, how do you vote?

>>RITA RODIN: Thank you, Vint. I vote in favor. I also applaud the staff for negotiating this good milestone in ICANN's history.

I echo the comments of Susan and Alejandro on the WHOIS policy, and I also want to state that I look forward to the board setting forth some guidelines to quickly develop these operating principles with the community so that we can actually bring some clarity on some of these changes that we're going to make.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Rita.

Vanda Scartezini, how do you vote?

>>VANDA SCARTEZINI: Yes, I vote in favor. And I recognize that this  the result of this negotiation is an important step toward the internationalization of ICANN.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Vanda.

Paul Twomey, how do you vote?

>>PAUL TWOMEY: I vote in favor.

I'd like to make a statement, if I can, Vint.

>>VINT CERF: Yes, go right ahead.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: First of all, I'd like to thank you, the chairman, John Jeffrey, Theresa Swinehart, and Paul Levins and David Conrad for the various roles they have played in helping through the discussions with the Department of Commerce over the last months.

Secondly, I'd like to particularly welcome the strong statements made by John Kneuer, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Department of Commerce, in hearings this last Wednesday and Thursday in front of the Congress, in particular, to note that his statement that the Department continues to believe that the stability and security of the Internet domain name and addressing system can best be achieved by transitioning the coordination of the technical functions related to the management of the DNS to the private sector.

Furthermore, he says that the Department continues to be supportive of private sector leadership in the coordination of these technical functions as envisaged in the ICANN model and that the Department continues to support the work of ICANN as the coordinator for the technical functions related to the management of the Internet DNS.

I recognize that this statement is an important reaffirmation of the U.S. government's policy of transition.

I'd also like to note that this new MOU language is a major step forward in the recognition of the organizational strengths of ICANN and the responsibilities of its board to take forward this technical coordination. And I look forward to working with the community and with Assistant Secretary Kneuer to see this new extension through to completion.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you very much, Paul.

That completes the vote. We're going off the record.

(Discussion on set of principles.)

(Discussion on meeting venues.)

>>VINT CERF: Let's go on the record, then.

I'd like to invite a resolution, a motion to adopt resolutions to meet in Lisbon, in Portugal, in March of 2007 and to meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June of 2007.

And, Veni, I'll ask you to make the motion.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: I move.

>>VINT CERF: Is there a second?

>>VANDA SCARTEZINI: I second. Vanda.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Vanda.

Is there any further discussion of these two motions?

The Meetings Committee has made recommendations, and the board, if you vote in favor, will in fact adopt these recommendations.

I'm going to make a voice vote only because I'm not sure who all we still have on the call.

Raimundo, how do you vote?

Raimundo, are you on the call?

Perhaps he has fallen off.

Vint Cerf votes "yes."

Susan Crawford?

>>SUSAN CRAWFORD: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you.

Peter Dengate Thrush?

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Demi Getschko?

Demi, are you on?

I guess not. Okay. We're running short of people.

And, Hagen, you're off by now, I assume?

Joichi Ito didn't join today.

Veni Markovski, how do you vote?

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Alejandro?

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Hualin Qian?

>>HUALIN QIAN: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Njeri Rionge?

>>NJERI RIONGE: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Rita Rodin?

>>RITA RODIN: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Vanda Scartezini?

>>VANDA SCARTEZINI: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Paul Twomey?

Paul Twomey, are you on?

That's interesting.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: Yes.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you. All right.

So, Mr. Secretary, I record one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten  11 "yeses."

>>JOHN JEFFREY: I only recorded ten.

>>VINT CERF: Uhoh. All right. I got Vint Cerf and Susan Crawford, Peter Dengate Thrush, Hagen Hultzsch  Oh, Hagen. I'm sorry. You're right, Hagen didn't vote.

>>JOHN JEFFREY: Thank you.

>>VINT CERF: You're correct. Your count is correct.

Okay, Veni, you're on. Please proceed.

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: Thanks.

>>VINT CERF: We're off the record now.

Additional Board Committee Assignments Adopted

>>VINT CERF: I will go on the record to ask for a motion in favor of the committee assignments that Alejandro proposes.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: I so move.

>>VINT CERF: Mr. Secretary, you'll have to work with Alex to propose precise language to say this, but, essentially, we're adopting  if we vote in favor, we will be adopting the committee assignments that Alex has just outlined.

So, Alex, let me invite you to make that motion.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: Yes, so moved.

>>VINT CERF: Is there a second?

>>VENI MARKOVSKI: Veni.

>>VINT CERF: Thank you, Veni.

Is there any further discussion of the proposal to populate the committees as proposed?

If not, I'll ask all those in favor to say "aye."

>> Aye.

>>VINT CERF: Are there any opposed?

Are there any abstentions?

That takes care of the BGC matters, Alex. Thank you for moving that along.

(Off the record discussion.)

(Meeting concluded at 2:53 p.m.)