Reform to the Supporting Organizations is a necessary feature of ICANN's attempts to gather legitimacy. Recently, the issue has gained support, partially as a result of the ccTLD managers' comments at the Stockholm meeting, June 2001, but also the DNSO's increasing dysfunctionality. As a result, some ICANN observers have sought to merge the issue of SO reform with that of At-Large reform.
Such commingling would be a mistake for ICANN. While SO reform that can properly represent stakeholders in ICANN is important, it is also separate from the need to establish strong public participation. Moreover, while the ICANN Board currently includes appropriate (though perhaps not ideal) representation from the stakeholder communities, it does not currently enjoy full participation from the global public. As such, it should resist any efforts to promote SO reform before its most immediate task, reform of the public voice in ICANN, is complete. We suggest that the reform of the DNSO be considered as a separate issue and not be allowed to effect the implementation of measures to elect further At Large Directors, a process that must be begun at the November, 2001 meeting of the ICANN Board.
| 3.6.3.3 The Consumers SO | 4. Proposed Action Plan & Timeline of Activities |
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