Public Comment

Public Comment is a vital part of our multistakeholder model. It provides a mechanism for stakeholders to have their opinions and recommendations formally and publicly documented. It is an opportunity for the ICANN community to effect change and improve policies and operations.

Academia Representation on NomCom

Open: 30 April 2011
Closed: 30 May 2011

Explanation/Background: The ICANN Bylaws call for the ICANN Board to designate an entity "to represent academic and similar organizations" that would be responsible for annually selecting a voting delegat of the Nominating Committee (NomCom) (Selecting Entity). See http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#VII. Because identifying a Selecting Entity has been challenging, in practice the Board Governance Committee (BGC) has been recommending for Board approval a member of academia to fill this role on the NomCom. In 2010, the Board directed that the BGC oversee the development of a process to identify a Selecting Entity as called for in the Bylaws. In reviewing the creation of this process, the BGC noted that multiple representatives of academic and similar organizations are appointed to the NomCom each year – and the intent of providing academia with a voice in the selection of ICANN leadership is already being met.

The BGC recommended and the Board agreed that ICANN seek community input on the types of organizations that may be appropriate to serve as this Selecting Entity. This public comment forum is meant to solicit that community input.

If no appropriate entities (or metrics to identify and evaluate such entities) can be identified as a result of community input, an alternative is to amend the Bylaws to remove this particular seat on the NomCom. Such a decision would be reconsidered in the future if academia becomes an under-represented sector in the NomCom. The potential Bylaws revisions on which ICANN is seeking public comment are available here in redline form [PDF, 64 KB].

Staff member responsible: Amy A. Stathos, Deputy General Counsel

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