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→Paper 5: A More Effective GAC
====Paper 5: A More Effective GAC====
====Paper 5: A More Effective GAC====
This paper highlights the current problems facing the GAC, and calls for "higher levels of organization, preparation and productivity" in response to the challenges at hand. They find it important to achieve this especially given the fact that governments could begin considering the GAC obsolete or a resource drain given the [[ICANN Board]]'s recent trend of declining GAC initiatives and advice. They believe that for the multi-stakeholder model to work then GAC members must be convinced that an investment of greater resources will be beneficial. A main goal is to improve general GAC efficiency given that their opinions on the new [[gTLD]] program will need to be submitted quickly, often within 60 days. Once again, they seek to amend [[ICANN Bylaws| ICANN's bylaws]] to give GAC advice new authority and consequence, stating: "The ICANN by-laws should be amended to ensure that consensus GAC advice is accepted as reflecting the global public interest, and should ICANN wish to reject such advice, it would bear the burden of demonstrating that the GAC advice would conflict with ICANN’s legal obligations or create problems for the stability or security of the Domain name System". Other changes include increasing resources to the GAC's secretariat, and ensuring that all nations' representatives to the GAC are high-level authorities within their respective national administrations. They also would like to see the GAC chair participating in [[ICANN Board]] meetings and dedicating him or herself full-time to their responsibilities.<ref>[http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/08/31/ec-paper-gac EC GAC paper, dot-nxt.com]</ref>
This paper highlights the current problems facing the GAC, and calls for "higher levels of organization, preparation and productivity" in response to the challenges at hand. They find it important to achieve this especially given the fact that governments could begin considering the GAC obsolete or a resource drain given the [[ICANN Board]]'s recent trend of declining GAC initiatives and advice. They believe that for the multi-stakeholder model to work then GAC members must be convinced that an investment of greater resources will be beneficial. A main goal is to improve general GAC efficiency given that their opinions on the new [[gTLD]] program will need to be submitted quickly, often within 60 days. Once again, they seek to amend [[ICANN Bylaws| ICANN's bylaws]] to give GAC advice new authority and consequence, stating: "The ICANN by-laws should be amended to ensure that consensus GAC advice is accepted as reflecting the global public interest, and should ICANN wish to reject such advice, it would bear the burden of demonstrating that the GAC advice would conflict with ICANN’s legal obligations or create problems for the stability or security of the Domain name System". Other changes include increasing resources to the GAC's secretariat, and ensuring that all nations' representatives to the GAC are high-level authorities within their respective national administrations. They also would like to see the GAC chair participating in [[ICANN Board]] meetings and dedicating him or herself full-time to their responsibilities.<ref>[http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/08/31/ec-paper-gac EC GAC paper, dot-nxt.com]</ref>
The most glaring issue to most ICANN observers is the EC's desire to put the GAC into a position of elevated authority within the multi-stakeholder process, as this move would seem to unilaterally dissolve that structure. Also, the idea that the GAC is able to reflect the "global public interest" is questionable, given the fact that this means balancing the views of historically influential but repressive countries, such as China, with the democratic ideals found in the U.S.'s first amendment and the EC's own Article 11. The presumed effect would mean compromising the EC's and others' high standards of freedom of expression to satisfy the fears of more closed societies. [[Nigel Roberts]] commended the EC's call for a reinforcement of the political structure of the GAC, that is the call for members to commit greater resources and ensure they are represented by sufficiently ranked political staff. <ref>[http://nigel.je/ Nigel Roberts' blog, nigel.je]</ref>
====Paper 6: ccTLDs====
====Paper 6: ccTLDs====