Focuses on individual involvement and representation for ICANN policy and decision-making activities

October 11 -- The At-Large Study Committee (ALSC) reaffirms its intention to present its final report on how to involve individuals and represent their interests in ICANN to ICANN's Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting. The ICANN meeting is scheduled for November 12 - 15 in Marina del Rey, California. The Board plans to hold a public forum to discuss the ALSC's final report on the evening of November 12 in Marina del Rey.

"We have been asked to present a proposal that can be fully implemented by the end of 2002. We continue to believe that this is important. ICANN needs a solid and complete governance structure. This schedule is dependent both on the ALSC presenting its final report and rapid convergence on the issues and necessary action. We will work with ICANN's Board, Supporting Organizations, and all interested parties to help ICANN achieve this goal," stated Carl Bildt, ALSC Chair.

ALSC members will stay active until ICANN's full consideration of, and action on, the ALSC's final report. The members want to help ensure that the ALSC's recommendations are properly presented and considered, to assist with implementation details, and to foster widespread involvement and active support by ICANN's members and future members.

The ALSC continues to seek comments on its draft final report via e-mail (at comments@atlargestudy.org ), public meetings, and other mechanisms through October 26. The draft report recommends:

1. focusing "At-Large" membership on an identifiable and vested community (individual domain name holders) to provide a reasonable mechanism for voter registration and self-funding;
2. creating a framework for informed participation and At-Large involvement in ICANN policy and decision-making (an At-Large Supporting Organization -- ALSO); and
3. a proportionate role for At-Large members in selecting ICANN's Board (along with other ICANN constituencies).

The draft report was released for consideration and comment by all interested individuals and organizations on August 27, and has been widely available on the Internet (at www.atlargestudy.org). Public outreach meetings scheduled to receive input and foster discussions about this report include September 4 in Paris, France, September 7 in Montevideo, Uruguay, and October 13 in Moscow, Russia. After October 26, the ALSC will still welcome constructive suggestions and activities as it strives to attract broader community support for its recommendations and their implementation.

ABOUT THE ALSC
The ALSC is an independent Committee created by ICANN earlier this year to provide recommendations to ICANN's Board on how to structure the diverse global Internet community's participation within ICANN.  The ALSC is conducting an aggressive outreach, discussion, research, and consensus-building campaign that will culminate with the submission of a final report to the Board in November.   In addition to Carl Bildt, the ALSC includes Charles Costello, Pierre Dandjinou, Esther Dyson, Olivier Iteanu, Ching-Yi Liu, Thomas Niles, Oscar Robles, and Pindar Wong. Biographies of these individuals, and Information on the ALSC, can be found at www.atlargestudy.org .

ABOUT ICANN ICANN is a technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998 by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic, and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of technical functions previously performed under U.S. government contract by IANA and other groups. Specifically, ICANN coordinates the assignment of identifiers that must be globally unique for the Internet to function: Internet domain names, IP address numbers, and protocol parameter and port numbers. In addition, ICANN coordinates the stable operation of the Internet's root server system. As a non-profit, private-sector corporation, ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector, bottom-up, consensus-based means. ICANN welcomes the participation of any interested Internet user, business, or organization.

CONTACT
Denise Michel
+1 310 823 9358
dmichel@atlargestudy.org