EURALO General Assembly (GA) / 29 May 2011
Minutes / 18:00 / Start at approx. 18:25
Agenda Items
1. done
2. <attendant list>, see latest meeting reminder by Wolf (plus Wolfgang, Desiree and Bill; Rudi and Manuel participated remotely); Guest Giacomo Mazzone (EBU).
3. There are 7 members with voting rights (Sébastien second vote from E-Seniors) plus 2 voting remote participants = 10. No quorum: make recommendations from the GA, post them onto the list, and if no objections are raised, these will be carried.
4. Agenda was adopted
5. Vilnius GA minutes were adopted
6. No comments about the Board report.
Wolf underlined some highlights such as the election of ALAC’s voting Board director and OCL was selected to take over the ALAC mandate from Patrick Vande Walle. Was then elected ALAC Chair. Regarding At-Large Selected Board Director: EURALO was the only RALO to use bottom-up process, starting a consultation from our members, prior to elections, with high mobilisation among our members; 24 (out of 27) EURALO ALSes participated. Sébastien Bachollet was selected by a majority of ALAC members and RALO leadership. Became first voting ALAC selected ICANN Board director.
7. Budget formally approved. Finance has not granted what was asked for. Discussions are still under way. Annette reminded everyone that the need for financial support for outreach was a founding procedure - and the funding is essential to build ALSes for them to interact. People who are only virtually taking part will never understand the procedure.
Wolfgang reminded that ICANN meeting presumably in March 2012 will take place in Europe again. Do not lose the opportunity.
Wolf reminded that this is simply a question of *credibility* of ICANN.
Sébastien reminded that Staff is just staff without much decision power. He suggested to send a request to Chair of finance committee explaining why RALOs are pushing for GA and why it is important to have funding. Solution 2: send email to Chair of board Finance Committee or Chair of Board, to have a 2nd Summit in 2012 (beginning or end) signed by RALO leads + ALAC Chair. We need an ATLAS 2 for policy development and community building.
Wolfgang reminded, 20 recommendations came out of ATLAS 1. There was no follow-up on these. The ALAC should follow-up on this unfinished business. One of them was the push for 2 Voting Board Directors. An ATLAS every 4 years could be possible.
Desiree seconded, if we wish to press on this point, have a letter written to ICANN Board (higher than Staff), giving them a reminder of the history. If the CFO does not know about the conversations in the past then the Board should remember.
Bill mentioned another side to the story from some Board members and some contracted parties. When At-Large was started, outreach money was the first thing that was asked for. There are some voices saying that people ask for money but don't do anything with it than just travel around the world. There need to be a synergy between asking for money and bring a contribution to the process. At-Large has to show seriousness too. (this point specifically from contracted
parties).
Wolf - At-Large Summit really brought At-Large forward in this direction. OCL: At-Large has been showing seriousness specifically since Mexico City.
Wolf concluded that a letter signed by ALAC leadership plus RALO leaders to Board will increase pressure on Board.
EURALO budget approved since no objection was raised.
8. Wolf recalled the history of EURALO’s Bylaw amendments, there was fear of manipulation potential by individual members when EURALO was started. In Paris, the subject came up again. Individuals being allowed at EURALO Board but not being able to have voting rights. Repeated discussions in monthly calls of several options. Option B was presented as the proposed and preferred one.
Sébastien and Wolf - one ALS in every country still needed.
Annette - build an ALS for individual members so that individuals can join. Suggest finding a procedure to make this ALS work. Wolf suggests a working group to draft the bylaws for this ALS for individual members, as a follow-up after the GA. Suggest Siranush, Desiree & Bill.
Remote conference participants - in which country the ALS for individuals should be based? There should also be a time line.
ACTION ITEM: next monthly call to work on the follow-up to creation of ALS individual members.
9. Wolfgang stated that geographical diversity is required in the composition of the Board because we need more outreach in Central and Eastern European countries (underserved regions) in the leadership of our organisation. Wolf reminded that this requirement is not only in the Bylaws, but also in the EURALO strategy.
10. Election of the EURALO Officers: Wolf unanimously re-elected by the members present. Since no solid quorum is achieved, the election results will be considered as recommendations from the GA, afterwards circulated via the EURALO list, and if no objection is received within 3 days, then the Belgrade results will be approved.
11. For the Secretariat function there were two candidates nominated prior to the GA: Oksana Prykhodko (Ukraine) and Rudi Vansnick (Belgium). Oksana believes that expansion and inclusion of Eastern Europe is important. Rudi has been involved in EURALO since the beginning and is willing to put all of his energy and efforts to assist the Chair in his mission and to extend international participation. He is willing to serve and add all experiences in the team of EURALO.
There was a motion asking for a secret ballot vote – Results:
Oksana: 5
Rudi: 4
Abstention: 1
12. List of Board members:
Rudi (nominated by Sébastien and Annette, seconded by Wolfgang and Manuel)
Annette (nominated by Sébastien, seconded by Wolfgang)
Desiree (nominated by Sébastien, seconded by Wolfgang)
Yjrö (nominated by Sébastien, seconded by Wolfgang)
Lutz (nominated by Sébastien, seconded by Wolfgang)
Adela (nominated by Sébastien, seconded by Wolfgang)
Manuel (nominated by Wolf)
Bill (nominated by Annette, seconded by Sandra)
besides the EURALO Officers (Oksana and Wolf).
plus Ex-officio
ALAC reps Sandra, Olivier and Jean-Jacques Subrenat and Sébastien Bachollet.
There was no secret ballot asked for the Board re-elections.
Motion carried with 2 abstentions.
13. ALAC: Olivier Crepin-Leblond – unanimously re-elected.
Sébastien pointed out that according to the recent Bylaw amendments, point 3, EURALO elections are aligned with ALAC now and all the above terms will conclude with the ICANN AGM in late 2013.
14. Some EURALO members are not responding anymore. Many attempts at reaching them have failed. Minimum participation is required. Wolfgang suggested that a formalised procedure is needed. Warning first, and then an agreed procedure to follow
which might lead to de-listing them. Wolf announced that he will suggest an inter-RALO or potentially ALAC-wide procedure on a careful 7-step approach incl. reconsideration or appeals process for the Singapore meeting. Regional Secretariats should be discussing these issues together.
First priority of new Board should be to involve more people. Go each to 2 or 3 friends in countries which are under-represented.
Brochures were distributed for all those present to have a brochure at hand to give to someone during the upcoming EuroDIG when they speak about EURALO.
Due to a delayed start of the meeting and time constraints, the last agenda items 15 and 16 were skipped to the EURALO dinner, informal part in Belgrade the very evening.
Meeting ended at later than 21:00
Belgrade, 29 May 2010
Minutes taken by Olivier Crepin-Leblond
P. S. As mentioned before, the voting results of the Belgrade GA, points 10 to 13, were considered as recommendations and submitted to the EURALO list for approval afterwards. The recommended results were posted on Wednesday night, 1 June, with a 3-days deadline until Saturday night, 4 June 2011. As no objections (besides one approval) were raised within these days, the Belgrade elections are carried.
