On the topic of Accountability, we got a reasonable answer from Bruce Tonkin. STEVE DELBIANCO, WITH RESPECT TO GENERAL ICANN ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENHANCEMENTS. LAST NIGHT THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENTS JOINED THE REGISTRY STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND THE NONCOMMERCIAL STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND WITHDREW A RECONSIDERATION REQUEST THAT WE FILED A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO. WE DID IT IN RECOGNITION THAT STAFF AND MANAGEMENT REVERSED COURSE AND LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT TO A CROSS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP AND OUR ABILITY TO DEFINE THE SCOPE. WE ARE VERY MUCH IN APPRECIATION OF THAT, AND THANK THE STAFF, MANAGEMENT FOR THAT, AS WELL AS ANY ROLE THE BOARD PLAYED IN THAT. I WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND REQUEST. THE STATEMENT IS THAT, AS WE EMBARK ON THIS CROSS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE ADVICE -- WE'LL TRY TO TAKE THE ADVICE ABOUT HAVING TWO TRACKS. WE SEE THOSE TWO TRACKS AS ONE BEING ALL THE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES THAT HAVE TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE IANA CONTRACT TRANSITION. THE SECOND WOULD BE ITEMS THAT CAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE TRANSITION. A SIMPLE DISTINCTION THAT WE MAY PURSUE. BUT IT WILL BE UP TO THE COMMUNITY TO DEFINE THAT. THE SECOND IS THIS NOTION OF WHAT THE BOARD WOULD DO WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT IS ARISE FROM THE CROSS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. OUR REQUEST WOULD BE THIS: AS THE BOARD LEARNS OF CONCERNS IT HAS ABOUT THE PRACTICALITY OR THE LEGALITY OF SOME OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING IN OUR OPEN CROSS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP, IT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL TO HEAR REALTIME FROM THE BOARD ON THE LEGAL AND PRACTICAL PROBLEMS, SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEM IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT IS FAR SUPERIOR TO THE ALTERNATIVE APPROACH OF US SENDING THINGS TO THE BOARD ONLY TO HAVE THEM COME BACK. SO IT'S A REQUEST TO GET INFORMATION FROM YOU. THANK YOU.
BRUCE TONKIN: YES, I THINK, STEVE, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY THE INTENT OF THE BOARD AND THAT THE BOARD WILL HAVE A LIAISON ON THE CROSS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP AND CERTAINLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE MATTERS BACK AND, YOU KNOW, DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK AT ISSUES IF WE THINK THERE MIGHT BE LEGAL ISSUES AND KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED. ALSO BOARD MEMBERS ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THEMSELVES OTHERRER SO WEF BOARD MEMBERS MEMBERS OF THE ADDRESSING COMMUNITY, THE COUNTRY CODE COMMUNITY AND GNSO COMMUNITY. SO I'M EXPECTING THOSE BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE FAIRLY ACTIVE WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND GIVE FEEDBACK IF THEY SEE ANY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT I GUESS IT'S A SCENARIO PLANNING OR STRESS TESTING AS YOU SAY, STEVE, WE BASICALLY JUST WANTED TO SET OUT CLEARLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A PARTICULAR SCENARIO IF BUT WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THAT SCENARIO WOULD EVER EMERGE. WE'RE EXPECTING THE REPORT WILL ALREADY HAVE THE BOARD'S AGREEMENT BEFORE IT EVEN GETS TO US.