TG 4 Team:

SMEs: Avri Doria and Hong Xue (jointly)

Moderator: Holly Raiche

Assistant Moderator: Chester Soong

Reporter: Alan Greenberg

Staff Support: TBD

Abstract

ATRT Final Recommendation #9 generally reflects the community feedback on existing appeals mechanisms and includes a set of necessary improvements. Rec.9.2 is particularly important for accountability of decision-making process and reform of appeal mechanism. It's suggested to form a Stakeholder Group Committee to examine the options to restructure the current Board reconsideration process and the Independent Review Process (IRP).

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1.  What issues does the community identify as being core to strengthening ICANN's overall accountability in the absence of its historical contractual relationship to the U.S. Government?

2.  What should be the guiding principles to ensure that the notion of accountability is understood and accepted globally? What are the consequences if the ICANN Board is not being accountable to the community?

3.  Do the Affirmation of Commitments and the values expressed therein need to evolve to support global acceptance of ICANN's accountability and so, how?

4.  What are the means by which the Community is assured that ICANN is  meeting its accountability commitments?

5.  Are there other mechanisms that would better ensure that ICANN lives up to its commitments?

Reference Documents

Thematic Group 4 Document Store

Report

FINAL VERSION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DECLARATION:

The final version to be included in the Declaration and endorsed by the ALAC will be placed here.

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FINAL DRAFT VERSION TO BE ENDORSED BY THE ATLAS II PARTICIPANTS

The final draft version to be endorsed by the ATLAS II participants will be placed here.

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FIRST DRAFT SUBMITTED

The first draft submitted will be placed here.

ICANN under its own Bylaws and the Affirmation of Commitments must ensure that decisions made related to the global technical coordination be made in the public interest and must be accountable and transparent. In making recommendations in the context of global acceptability, the ATLAS II Accountability and Transparency Thematic Group recognizes that there are two constituencies: the ICANN community and the larger global community of Internet users.

Definitions:

Accountability: The responsibility to answer for whether you have achieved what you committed to do.

Transparency: The openness and accessibility of decision-making processes and outcomes. All stakeholders, including users and governments, must be able to trace back how a particular decision has been reached. The default mode of operation within ICANN must be complete transparency.

Recommendation:

This group recognizes there are many areas for internal reform that were identified by the ATRT2 report and we support their implementation. Our recommendations relate to ICANN’s relationship to the wider global community.

Accessibility

Members of the general public should be able participate in ICANN on an issue-by-issue basis. Information on the ICANN website should, where practical, be in clear and non-technical language.

Public complaints

The roles and jurisdiction of the Ombudsman should be expanded. The website should provide a clear and simple way for the public to make complaints.

Identification of public issues

Both the areas of the Ombudsman and Compliance should report regularly on complaints received by category of complaints, issues being complained and their outcomes. Issues that are not resolved should have reports on how they will be addressed, .

Board oversight

There should be a mechanism to hold the board itself responsible for action or in-action:

• Cross-community Standing Oversight Body that:
  • Must have access to all relevant information
  • Should have power to compel the ICANN Board to take remedial action
  • Membership that is independent of the ICANN Board