As part of the ALAC RALO Roadmap 2006 (see below), Annette Muehlberg is organizing a European Preparatory Meeting, the 28th of May in Frankfurt, for the building of a “European Regional At Large Organisation” (EU-RALO). The goal is to start to build an efficient structure to give individual internet user’s interests a voice in ICANN and let user’s interests be guiding ICANN’s policies.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss:
- working structures on the regional level in interaction with the global level
- the design of an EU-RALO (draft bylaws with aims and principles, structure, membership, working bodies, financing etc.)
- defining key issues as related to ICANN policies for further activities as:
- - data protection, privacy
- - consumer choice and consumer protection
- - freedom of opinion and expression
- - preventing monopolies, ensuring competition
- a work plan for 2006 (outreach activities, preparation of the official launch etc.)
The ideas, questions and proposals of this Preparatory Meeting will be given account on the global RALO workshop in June in Marrakech and reflected by all At-Large Advisory Committee members from the different regions of the world. Report of the Marrakech workshop will be given to all ALSes.
The overall objective is to finalize the preparatory work for the launch of the EU-RALO until October 28, 2006 so that the official inauguration could e.g. take place in connection with the 1st Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Athens (still subject to approval and funding, since ICANN’s next budget is not yet finalized).
Next steps (could) include, inter alia
- a RALO workshop during the next ICANN meeting in Marrakesh (June 2006)
- a final planning meeting in Berlin at the international Internet Conference WOS (Sep. 17th, 2006)
The first meeting will take place on Sunday, May, 28, 2006 in Frankfurt/Main (Germany) close to the central main station (place will be clarified soon) from 12.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Please let me know if you plan to attend, so that we can prepare the meeting accordingly. A set of documents, including all technical information with regard to the meeting, will be distributed around mid May 2006.
FYI. I drafted a RALO Roadmap 2006 which all european ALAC members in principle agreed on (one location is not clarified yet).
I received a proposal for a Latin American RALO Workshop/Launch (November 2006) which will be included as soon as there is a proposal for procedure.
(All proposed activities after June 30, 2006 funded by ICANN are still subject to approval and funding, since ICANN’s next budget is not finalized.)
Draft:
RALO Roadmap 2006
After years of discussion, ALAC wants to move forward now and start with the actual building of RALOs. Even if we are not yet satisfied with the number of accredited ALSs, we think that we have a minimum of critical mass so that
we are in a position to move to a concrete planning phase, at least for the Asian Pacific Region and the European Region.
After discussion with the members of the ALAC, I would like to launch something like an “ICANN RALO Roadmap 2006″. The aim is to have two concrete proposals for/respectively actually built RALOs until the end of the year (ICANNs Sao Paulo Meeting) and two drafts for a MoU for the two above mentioned RALOs for consideration by the ICANN Board.
Key milestones of the Roadmap are:
- European Preparatory Meeting (end of May 2006 in Frankfurt)
- RALO Workshop during the ICANN meeting in Marrakesh (June 2006)
- Asian Pacific RALO Workshop/Launch (N.N.)
- European RALO Workshop (September 2006)
- European RALO Launch (during the IGF in Athens, October 2006)
- proposal for MoU (December 2006)
All these activities need some facilitation, which we would like ICANN to support. Support includes that main costs have to be covered by ICANN (including meeting venue, coffee breaks, lunches, accomodation and travel for key participants, Telephone conferences /next week already for Asia?)
The European Preparatory Meeting is planned now for May, 28, 2006 in Frankfurt (probably up to 20 people representing ALSes in Europe). Arrival either in combination with a cheap flight (special fare saturday/sunday with one night stay) or by train. Begin: 12 am, end 5 pm. Location near the main train station. I will organize a room for 20 persons.
The RALO Workshop during the ICANN Meeting Marrakech 25th – 30th of June needs some more detailed discussion. Question is how many ALS will beinvited.
The European RALO Workshop to prepare the establishment of EURALO (planned for Athens) is now scheduled for Sunday, September, 17, in Berlin, linked to an international Internet conference (Wizards of OS 4, Information Freedom
Rules). Many members of European ALSes will attend this conference which already ends on saturday to give people like us time to come together and have a meeting on sunday. Good chance to address other European and international folks to get involved in ICANN work in the interest of individual internet users. The meeting would be again one day: (Begin 12
am, end 5 pm. Location at conference center, reservation already made (needs to be confirmed within 10 days). Arrival either to the conference (without paying for night stay) or right on sunday morning, departure sunday evening.
20 to 30 people.
The EU-RALO founding meeting in Athens at the IGF could be October, 29th or 30th. At the Internet Governance Forum we will have a big chance for outreach and getting those people involved who are already working on Internet Governance and Internet consumer right issues. Press work is relatively easy as Media will be there already. Connecting RALO meetings
with other internet consumer right events increases the chance not to develop too many parallel activities and get people involved in ICANN.
Travel expenses will have to include flight and at least one night stay. About 25 people, price has to be estimated. Date, time and room have to bedetermined.
Before I move forward with details (including budgets) I want to get a green light for the principle approach. The budget for the fiscal year 2006-2007 still needs to be planned by the budget committee and approved by
the ALAC.
Kind regards,
Annette Mühlberg
ALAC Chair
Recent Comments