3.2.3 The Government Advisory Committee

Nor can the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) provide an adequate forum for a public voice. The GAC speaks on behalf of governments as institutions, not on behalf of the public users of the Internet as individuals. Although governments in principle "represent" their citizens, this principle is little more than an aspiration in some parts of the world.

Moreover, it is also clearly true that even the most democratically organized governments frequently have interests-on matters such as regulation of speech, protection of intellectual property, or competition policies-that are sometimes perceived as antithetical to those of the global community of individuals users of the Internet.

And finally, the GAC has conducted its business at ICANN in an unusually secretive fashion. For the GAC to make its most important decisions, as it does, behind closed doors simply reinforces the fact that it is an inappropriate channel for the public voice within ICANN.

3.2.2 DNSO

3.2.4 At-Large Membership