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Terms of reference


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Terms of Reference


The following download is an extract from the final GNSO Review Terms of Reference, which were approved by the ICANN Board in December 2005 at their Vancouver Board meeting.

Visit ICANN: http://www.icann.org/gnso/review-tor-background-04nov05.htm [External link]

Download extract: Terms of Reference [48kb / PDF]

Download: Generic version of the Constituency survey [118kb / PDF]

  Background to the Terms of Reference
  1. The July 2005 Luxembourg Resolution initiated the Review and started a process of discussion between the Board, Council, and Staff on the establishment of the Terms of Reference. (http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-15jul05.htm#p4)

  2. The December 2005 Vancouver Resolution approved the Terms of Reference which had been developed in consultation with individual members of the Board, Council and Staff (http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-04dec05.htm) A 21 day public comment period about the draft Terms of Reference was conducted between 27 October 2005 and 17 November 2005. The archive of comments is at http://forum.icannorg/lists/gnso-review-tor/

  3. The 14 December 2005 ICANN website posting sought requests for proposals from independent evaluators (http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-14dec05.htm).

  4. The 21 Feb 2006 Board Resolution approved the appointment of an independent team of evaluators but is not available online as yet.

  5. Background documents on the GNSO Review can be found at http://www.icann.org/gnso/review-tor-background-04nov05.htm. These include the recommendations from the GNSO Council Review, the relevant ICANN By laws and other helpful information.

  6. The Terms of Reference can be found at http://www.icann.org/gnso/review-reference-terms-27oct05.htm.

  7. Article IV Section 4 of ICANN's Bylaws (http://www.icann.org/general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-08apr05.htm#IV) gives guidance about the conduct of the review and I've copied it here for easy reference. I have added some emphasis which may provide clarification about the process.

1. The Board shall cause a periodic review, if feasible no less frequently than every three years, of the performance and operation of each Supporting Organization, each Supporting Organization Council, each Advisory Committee (other than the Governmental Advisory Committee), and the Nominating Committee by an entity or entities independent of the organization under review. The goal of the review, to be undertaken pursuant to such criteria and standards as the Board shall direct, shall be to determine (i) whether that organization has a continuing purpose in the ICANN structure, and (ii) if so, whether any change in structure or operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness. The results of such reviews shall be posted on the Website for public review and comment, and shall be considered by the Board no later than the second scheduled meeting of the Board after such results have been posted for 30 days. The consideration by the Board includes the ability to revise the structure or operation of the parts of ICANN being reviewed by a two-thirds vote of all members of the Board.
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