Proposed Criteria and Accreditation Process for At-Large Structures, and Proposed Guidelines for
Regional At-Large Organizations' (RALOs) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ICANN
Draft for Public Comment
21 May 2003

Underpinning the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) will be a network of self-organizing, self-supporting At-Large Structures throughout the world involving individual Internet users at the local or issue level. The At-Large Structures (either existing organizations or newly formed for this purpose) will self-organize into five Regional At-Large Organizations (one in each ICANN region - Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America). The Regional At-Large Organizations will manage outreach and public involvement and will be the main forum and coordination point in each region for public input to ICANN.

Public input is requested on the following draft criteria and accreditation process for self-forming At-Large Structures (which will eventually organize RALOs), and for the draft guidelines for a RALO MOU. Please send comments to forum@alac.icann.org (comments will be publicly posted). Additional information on the ALAC is available at <http://alac.icann.org>.

Proposed minimum criteria for an At-Large Structure (ALS):

1. Commit to supporting individual Internet users informed participation in ICANN by distributing to individual constituents/members information on relevant ICANN activities and issues, offering Internet-based mechanisms that enable discussions of one or more of these activities and issues among individual constituents/members, and involving individual constituents/members in relevant ICANN policy development, discussions and decisions.
2. Be constituted so that participation by individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of countries within the Geographic Region in which the ALS is based will predominate in the ALS' operation. The ALS may permit additional participation by others that is compatible with the interests of the individual Internet users within the region.
3. Be self-supporting (not rely on ICANN for funding).
4. Post on the Internet (on the ALAC's website or elsewhere) publicly-accessible, current information about the ALS's goals, structure, description of constituent group(s)/membership, working mechanisms, leadership, and contact(s).
5. Assist the RALO in performing its function. Proposed initial process for certification of an At-Large Structure (ALS):

1. Submit to the ALAC, in electronic form (provided by the ALAC), a completed ALS application (in English) and provide the ALAC with any requested documentation.
2. The ALAC will conduct due diligence, reviewing the application and performing necessary tasks in an effort to ensure that the established ALS criteria has been/will be met. This could include requesting references, interviewing the applicant's contact(s), gathering/requesting additional information on the applicant, and (for existing organizations) requesting information on applicant's leadership and operations, verifying general funding sources, and requiring the applicant to demonstrate the identity of their individual constituents.
3. Upon completion of its due diligence, all ALAC members will review the application and related documentation; the ALAC will then vote on certifying the applicant an ALS, with each ALAC member voting ELIGIBLE or NOT ELIGIBLE.
4. Decisions to certify and de-certify an ALS require a 2/3 vote of all of the members of the ALAC and shall be subject to review according to procedures established by the Board.
5. The ALAC will notify the applicant of its certification decision, and, if applicable, provide information on requesting a review of the decision.
6. On an ongoing basis, the ALAC may also give advice as to whether a prospective ALS meets the applicable criteria and standards.
7. ALS applications, ALAC decisions on applications, and other information, as appropriate, will be publicly posted by the ALAC.

Proposed guidelines for a RALO (Regional At-Large Organization) MOU (Memorandum of Understanding):

1. Each RALO shall be comprised of At-Large Structures based within its Geographic Region that have been certified to meet the requirements of the RALO's Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN. There will be no more than one RALO in each Geographic Region.
2. Proposed RALO MOUs shall be posted by the ALAC for public comment.
3. Each RALO's Memorandum of Understanding shall include provisions designed to achieve robust participation of individual Internet users in its region. Prior to finalizing its MOU, each RALO shall demonstrate that every citizen or resident in its region is welcome to join at least one of its At-Large Structures. A RALO may elect to also directly include individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of countries within the RALO's Geographic Region.
4. Signatories to the MOU (and participation in the RALO) must include a minimum of 3 open and transparent At-Large Structures based in at least 2 different countries within the RALO's Geographic Region.
5. The criteria and process for certification of At-Large Structures shall be included in the MOU. To the extent compatible with ICANN's stated objectives, each RALO may propose additional criteria and standards to encourage the type of structure that best fits the customs and character of various countries in its Geographic Region.
6. A RALO shall be an entity that facilitates informed participation of individual Internet users via At-Large Structures, with openness (open to all ALSs), participatory opportunities (enable individual Internet users to discuss and make recommendations on ICANN issues and activities), transparency (activities documented and publicly available on the Internet), accountability (demonstrate its activities and procedures comply with ICANN requirements), and diversity (geographic, professional, etc.) in its structure and procedures.
7. Each signatory to the MOU acknowledges these requirements and commits to assisting with the submission to the ALAC of ALS applications from other organizations (and potential ALSs) based in its Geographic Region.
8. To help ensure individual Internet user participation and the protection of individual internet users' interests, signatories to the MOU commit to periodically reviewing the results of their cooperation under the MOU and, when appropriate, will recommend improvements in the MOU and make suitable proposals for modifying and updating the arrangements and scope of the MOU.
9. The RALO will define a transparent process for selecting 2 individuals from its region (the individuals may not be citizens of the same country) to serve as members of the ALAC.
10. The RALO will commit to serving as the main forum and coordination point for input from individual Internet users to ICANN in its region and to working with the ALAC and ICANN in conducting the following activities:
    1. Keeping the community of individual Internet users in their region informed about the significant news from ICANN;
    2. Distributing (through posting or otherwise), in languages appropriate for its region, news about ICANN and information about items in the ICANN policy-development process of interest to individual Internet users in its Geographic Region;
    3. Promoting outreach activities in the community of individual Internet users in its region;
    4. Developing and maintaining on-going information and education programs in its region, regarding ICANN and its work;
    5. Making public, and analyzing, ICANN's proposed policies and its decisions and their (potential) regional impact and (potential) effect on individuals in the region;
    6. Offering Internet-based mechanisms that enable discussions among members of ALS in its region; and
    7. Establishing mechanisms and processes that enable two-way communication between members of ALS in its region and those involved in ICANN decision-making, so interested individuals can share their views on pending ICANN issues.

Periodic review: At-Large Structures and RALOs shall participate in periodic reviews of how they are contributing to the ALAC charter and fostering informed participation of individual Internet users in ICANN, and they will contribute to the ALACs reports to the ICANN Board on the structure, activities and results of the ALAC and the At-Large infrastructure.