Page History

Implementation Details 

The At-Large Community is keen on holding ICANN’s Contractual Compliance department accountable by pushing for greater transparency and openness in reporting its activities. At-Large held many constructive dialogues discussions with Senior Staff from the department during ICANN meetings and teleconferences on those issues. These efforts have resulted in the department’s significant improvements in providing clear and consistent communication on its activities. Its revamped section on icann.org not only includes clear messaging, infographics, and videos that explain what they do and how to make complaints. It also publishes and regularly updates annual, quarterly, monthly, and audit reports, as well as detailed metrics on compliance and enforcement for a rolling 13 month period.  

Due to the sensitive nature of the complaints that the ICANN Ombudsman receives and the legal limits on what can be reported on, the At-Large Community is satisfied with the current level of communications from the Ombudsman about his activities to the general public. Nevertheless, At-Large members took the initiative to contact former Ombudsman Chris LaHatte and ICANN’s Digital Engagement team, and offered a number of suggestions to improve the Ombudsman’s blog and social media channels. ICANN recently revamped the Ombudsman’s microsite, incorporating clear messaging on the role of Ombudsman (e.g. infographic of the ICANN Expected Stands of Behavior) and simple instruction on how to make complaints. The newly appointed Ombudsman Herb Waye has also maintained an active presence on Twitter and Facebook, making himself accessible to the ICANN community.

In addition, At-Large members have been actively leading and/or participating in the CCWG-Accountability WS2 Ombudsman SubGroup. Recommendations proposed by the SubGroup would enhance the scope and nature of the ICANN Ombudsman’s role, and may impact the mechanism for the Ombudsman to report on complaints.

Next Step  

The At-Large Community will maintain a watching brief on Contractual Compliance performance metrics and reports, as well as the communication channels of the Ombudsman, ensuring the ongoing nature and the continuous improvements of these types of reporting for transparency purposes.