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ICANN Empowered Community

ICANN Empowered Community (EC) is an organizational effort to ensure transparency as well as serves as a mechanism for the community to understand the powers being exercised and process progress throughout. [1]

Overview[edit | edit source]

The Empowered Community is the post IANA Transition body that provides the oversight of ICANN and enforces the community’s powers. It is incorporated as a nonprofit association in the State of California and bestows the power to legally enforce the community’s powers under California law in the hands of ICANN’s Supporting Organizations (SOs) and two of the Advisory Committees (ACs).

The EC consists of 5 Decisional Participants, which include:

History[edit | edit source]

The IANA Functions Stewardship Transition raised community concerns regarding the accountability of ICANN org as presently constructed, as well as future challenges that might emerge as a result of the transition. Multiple working groups were created to address various aspects of the transition. The EC was recommended by the CCWG-Accountability Workstream 1 team. The ICANN Board approved the final report of the Workstream 1 team on March 10, 2016, and initiated preparations to operationalize the recommendations of the final report, including the creation of the EC, in the event that the IANA transition proposal was accepted by the NTIA.[2]

The EC mailing list was established in May 2017.[3]

Empowered Community Powers[edit | edit source]

  1. Appoint and remove individual Directors (other than the President);
  2. Recall the entire Board;
  3. Reject ICANN Budgets, IANA Budgets, Operating Plans and Strategic Plans;
  4. Reject Standard Bylaw Amendments;
  5. Approve Fundamental Bylaw Amendments, Articles Amendments and Asset Sales;
  6. Reject Public Technical Identifiers (PTI) Governance Actions
  7. Require the ICANN Board to re-review its rejection of IANA Function Review (IFR) Recommendation Decisions, Special IFR Recommendation Decisions, Separation Cross-Community Working Group (SCWG) Creation Decisions and SCWG Recommendation Decisions;
  8. Initiate a Community Reconsideration Request, mediation or a Community Independent Review Process (IRP); and
  9. Take necessary and appropriate action to enforce its powers and rights, including through the various procedures provided within the community mechanism or an action filed in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Process[edit | edit source]

  1. A petition is initiated in a SO or AC
  2. The petition is accepted by the SO or AC
  3. The petition is supported by other SOs or ACs participating in the EC
  4. A conference call is held with the ICANN Board
  5. A community forum is held with the ICANN Board
  6. The EC establishes whether it wishes to use a community power
  7. The EC advises the ICANN Board of its decision

Empowered Community Administration[edit | edit source]

The Empowered Community Administration is the body through which the Empowered Community acts. Each Decisional Participant appoints one representative to the EC Administration.

The Administration’s primary roles include supporting the EC’s Powers by:

  • Receiving and sending notifications and communications that are required in exercising its powers and/or requirements
  • Moderating Conference Calls and Community Forums
  • Tallying decision of the Decisional Participants

Additionally, in the community mediation process, which is used when the Board refuses or fails to comply with a valid EC decision, the EC Administration is responsible for:

  • Appointing representatives to represent the Empowered Community in mediation

Selecting the slate of potential mediators from representatives appointed by Empowered Community Administration and Board-appointed mediation representatives.

EC Administration Designees[edit | edit source]

ICANN Body Representative
ASO German Valdez
ccNSO Alejandra Reynoso
GNSO Philippe Fouquart
ALAC Maureen Hilyard
GAC Manal Ismail


References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ ICANN.org - Empowered Community Hub
  2. ↑ Resolutions of the Board regarding the CCWG-Accountability Workstream 1 Report, March 10, 2016
  3. ↑ ICANN.org Listserv Archive - Empowered Community Administration

Address Supporting Organization. Advises the Board with respect to policy issues relating to the operation, assignment, and management of Internet addresses (ICANN Bylaws).

Country Code Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board global policies relating to country-code top-level domains (ICANN Bylaws).

Generic Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws (ICANN Bylaws).

At-Large Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN related to the interests of individual Internet users (ICANN Bylaws). Not to be confused with the Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group.

Governmental Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues (ICANN Bylaws).

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