At-Large Advisory Committee
Encyclopedia
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is an advisory committee to ICANN
, the organization that administers the Internet's Domain Name System
and addressing system. Its mission is to act as an advocate for the interests and viewpoints of the global individual users of the Internet.
As a part of its mission, the ALAC reaches out for groups of individual Internet users all around the world - identified as At-Large Structures (ALSes) - and encourages them to apply for accreditation by ICANN. Once accredited, these groups can participate in the five Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), regional groupings that host discussions at a regional level. In turn, each RALO appoints two members of the ALAC (for a total of ten members out of fifteen). This builds an open, bottom-up mechanism to select the ALAC members. The remaining five members of the ALAC are appointed by ICANN's Nominating Committee.
The ALAC appoints one non-voting representative to the ICANN Board, one non-voting representative to the councils of the Generic Names Supporting Organization and to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization, and liaisons to ICANN working groups and task forces. It also appoints five members (one per geographic region) of ICANN's Nominating Committee. It has some statutory authority, though limited, to influence ICANN's policy making activities. However, it usually shares its opinions through non-binding advisory statements sent to the ICANN Board.
The first ALAC was appointed in January 2003. Since the Regional At-Large Organizations did not exist yet, the committee was marked as "interim" and the ten regional members were appointed by the ICANN Board instead. The initial membership included the former ICANN Chairman Esther Dyson
. The initial Chairman was Vittorio Bertola, and the first appointed liaison to the ICANN Board was Roberto Gaetano, and Thomas Roessler to the GNSO, who in December of 2004 left his position to Bret Fausett. In March 2006, Bertola left the Chairmanship to Annette Muehlberg; in December 2006, Bertola was appointed as the new Board liaison, Alan Greenberg
as GNSO liaison, and Siavash Shahshahani
as CCNSO liaison.
Initially, there was widespread concern that the ALAC would fail as a result of a perception of disenfranchisement common to many Internet rights groups - especially the North American ones - that followed the demise by ICANN of the original At Large election plan. However, the number of accredited At Large Structures grew slowly but steadily, reaching 100 in the first months of 2007. In December 2006, the first Regional At-Large Organization - the Latin American RALO was formally accredited by ICANN. Further RALOs for Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific were expected to be accredited in the first half of 2007.
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
, the organization that administers the Internet's Domain Name System
Domain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
and addressing system. Its mission is to act as an advocate for the interests and viewpoints of the global individual users of the Internet.
Structure and mission
The ALAC is composed by fifteen members, three from each of the five geographic regions used by ICANN for geographical diversity requirements.As a part of its mission, the ALAC reaches out for groups of individual Internet users all around the world - identified as At-Large Structures (ALSes) - and encourages them to apply for accreditation by ICANN. Once accredited, these groups can participate in the five Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), regional groupings that host discussions at a regional level. In turn, each RALO appoints two members of the ALAC (for a total of ten members out of fifteen). This builds an open, bottom-up mechanism to select the ALAC members. The remaining five members of the ALAC are appointed by ICANN's Nominating Committee.
The ALAC appoints one non-voting representative to the ICANN Board, one non-voting representative to the councils of the Generic Names Supporting Organization and to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization, and liaisons to ICANN working groups and task forces. It also appoints five members (one per geographic region) of ICANN's Nominating Committee. It has some statutory authority, though limited, to influence ICANN's policy making activities. However, it usually shares its opinions through non-binding advisory statements sent to the ICANN Board.
History
The ALAC was created in 2002, as one of the changes introduced in the so-called "ICANN 2.0" reform, with the purpose of providing a viable mechanism for participation by a significant number of active individual users of the Internet from around the world. Its structure was studied through the At-Large Advisory Committee Assistance Group, which made a proposal that was then approved by the ICANN Board.The first ALAC was appointed in January 2003. Since the Regional At-Large Organizations did not exist yet, the committee was marked as "interim" and the ten regional members were appointed by the ICANN Board instead. The initial membership included the former ICANN Chairman Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson is a former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst who is a leading angel investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and commentator focused on breakthrough innovation in healthcare, government transparency, digital technology, biotechnology, and space...
. The initial Chairman was Vittorio Bertola, and the first appointed liaison to the ICANN Board was Roberto Gaetano, and Thomas Roessler to the GNSO, who in December of 2004 left his position to Bret Fausett. In March 2006, Bertola left the Chairmanship to Annette Muehlberg; in December 2006, Bertola was appointed as the new Board liaison, Alan Greenberg
Alan Greenberg
Alan C. "Ace" Greenberg is a former Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc.He began work at Bear Stearns in 1949 as a clerk. He served as Chairman of the Board of Bear Stearns from 1985 to 2001, and as its CEO from 1978 to 1993. Greenberg serves also as a...
as GNSO liaison, and Siavash Shahshahani
Siavash Shahshahani
Siavash Mirshams Shahshahani is an Iranian mathematician. He is a professor of mathematics and head of Mathematical Sciences Department at Sharif University of Technology. He headed up the IRNIC registry for the .ir ccTLD until his retirement from that position in late 2008...
as CCNSO liaison.
Initially, there was widespread concern that the ALAC would fail as a result of a perception of disenfranchisement common to many Internet rights groups - especially the North American ones - that followed the demise by ICANN of the original At Large election plan. However, the number of accredited At Large Structures grew slowly but steadily, reaching 100 in the first months of 2007. In December 2006, the first Regional At-Large Organization - the Latin American RALO was formally accredited by ICANN. Further RALOs for Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific were expected to be accredited in the first half of 2007.
Current Membership
- Mohamed El Bashir (Africa)
- Tijani Ben Jemaa (Africa)
- Dave Kissoondoyal (Africa)
- Edmon Chung (Africa)
- Chery Langdon-Orr (Asia/Pacific)
- James SengJames SengSeng Ching Hong is one of the Internet pioneers in Singapore and is recognized as an international expert in the Internet arena. He gave regular speeches at various forums on several Internet issues such as IDN, VoIP, IPv6, spam, OSS and Internet governance issues...
(Asia/Pacific) - Olivier Crépin-Leblond (Europe)
- Jean-Jacques SubrenatJean-Jacques SubrenatJean-Jacques Subrenat is a French diplomat who served as ambassador, permanent representative to the WEU in Brussels , ambassador to Estonia and to Finland . He represented France at the Board of Governors of the Asia-Europe Foundation in 2005. He retired from the diplomatic service in September...
(Europe) - Sandra Hoferichter (Europe)
- Sylvia Herlein Leite (Latin America)
- Carlton Samuels (Latin America)
- Sergio Salinas Porto (Latin America)
- Gareth Shearman (North America)
- Evan Leibovitch (North America)
- Ganesh Kumar (North America)
Past membership
- Adam Peake (Europe)
- Dr. V. C.Vivekanandan (Asia/Pacific)
- Patrick Vande WallePatrick Vande WalleBorn May 8, 1960, in Ronse , Belgium, Patrick Vande Walle is an Internet engineer. He is a member of the Security and Stability Committee of ICANN and a former member of its At-Large Advisory Committee. He is also the founder of the project, an applicant for the .sport Top Level Domain....
(Europe) - Alan Greenberg (North America)
- Carlos Aquirre ( (Latin America)
- Sébastien Bachollet (Europe)
- Beau Brendler (United States)
- Hawa Diakite (Africa)
- Erick Iriarte Ahon (Latin America) (January 2003 – December 2006)
- Izumi Aizu (Asia/Pacific)
- Vittorio Bertola (Europe) (January 2003 – May 2007)
- Veronica Cretu (Europe)
- Pierre Dandjinou (Africa)
- Esther DysonEsther DysonEsther Dyson is a former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst who is a leading angel investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and commentator focused on breakthrough innovation in healthcare, government transparency, digital technology, biotechnology, and space...
(North America) (January 2003 – December 2004) - Clement Dzidonu (Africa)
- Bret Fausett (North America)
- Sunday Folayan (Africa) (June 2003 – December 2005)
- Roberto Gaetano (Europe) (June 2003 – December 2006)
- Robert Guerra (North America)
- Kenneth Hamma (North America) (June 2003 – December 2004)
- Xue Hong (Asia/Pacific)
- Nguyen Thu Hue (Asia/Pacific)
- John Levine (North America) (February 2005 – March 2007)
- Toshifumi Matsumoto (Asia/Pacific) (June 2003 – December 2005)
- Jacqueline Morris (Latin America)
- Annette Muehlberg (Europe)
- Jean Armour PollyJean Armour PollyJean Armour Polly is a librarian by profession, the author of a series of books on safe Internet services , and has been an active Internet user since 1991....
(North America) (December 2004 – December 2006) - José Ovidio Salgueiro(Latin America)
- Sebastian Ricciardi (Latin America) (January 2003 – December 2006)
- Thomas Roessler (Europe) (January 2003 – December 2004)
- Josè-Ovidio Salgueiro (Latin America)
- Vanda Scartezini (Latin America)
- Wendy SeltzerWendy SeltzerWendy Seltzer is an American lawyer and currently a fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. She was previously with Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy...
(North America) - Siavash ShahshahaniSiavash ShahshahaniSiavash Mirshams Shahshahani is an Iranian mathematician. He is a professor of mathematics and head of Mathematical Sciences Department at Sharif University of Technology. He headed up the IRNIC registry for the .ir ccTLD until his retirement from that position in late 2008...
(Asia/Pacific) - Fatimata Seye Sylla (Africa)
- Tadao Takahashi (Latin America) (June 2003 – December 2005)
- Alice Wanjira-Munyua (Africa)