Dear all,
A number of you have voiced (be email) their concern, or frustration, or both on the conflict that exists between the Finance open session and other commitments that many of you have. I definitely consider that the frustration expressed is the reflection of a deep interest in the matter of ICANN finances which I am thankful for.
For information, and to correct some inaccurate statements, this session has appeared on the ICANN meeting calendar since at the latest March 1st (see attached version issued with this date). It also has always been on the Wednesday, not this resolves any conflict, but it only addresses the predictability of this event.
Regarding the content, this session will provide an update on where we are in the budget process, will provide an overview of the content that will be submitted for public comment at the end of April. This content/agenda will be similar to the one that was provided during the Adobe session of March 12th. No new information is expected to be provided. It is also not the last or single opportunity to receive information about the budget, as the information submitted for public comment will be the full extent of what is just an overview in the March 12th session and in the Singapore March 26 meeting. Without trying to diminish the interest of holding this session, the actual data provided during this session is not critical, and the opportunity for interaction is the main value.
Some of you believe that the schedule of the Singapore Finance session is, purposefully or not, demonstrating an explicit lack of intent to allow for participation. It is absolutely not true. As you all know, there at least 5 different sessions of importance for any one happening at the same time throughout any ICANN meeting, and therefore the conflicts are inevitable. There is no obvious or easy solution to this issue.
In the short term, in an effort to mitigate the effects of the conflict, I will work with the ICANN Meetings team to see if the schedule can either accommodate a change of this session to a less conflicted day/time, or adding another session, with the intent to allow for an additional opportunity to interact. I will also check with those of you who can not attend the session of Wednesday 26th, if we can meet outside of scheduled sessions, even on an individual basis, to go over the content/agenda of the session, which I have always accommodated on demand during an ICANN meeting. I am also usually invited to various community sessions, during which I provide an overview of the Finance matters and answer questions. I will of course be available during the meeting for those sessions.
In the longer term, one of the subjects that I intended to discuss in Singapore is how to widen and increase participation to the Finance/Budget processes. Obviously, scheduling is an area to continue to explore, but there are definitely others to explore as well, since there are limited opportunities to fit differently or more finance sessions during an ICANN meeting. I am looking forward to constructive discussions on this subject in Singapore.
I am looking forward to seeing you there.
Xavier