There was a discussion at the NARALO meeting today on the need for rules and processes to decertify an ALS which no longer exists or is no longer active. Here are the procedures that are currently on the books. From the ALAC ALS appliation and certification procedure (http://www.atlarge.icann.org/framework.htm). 7. Decisions to de-certify an ALS shall require a 2/3 majority of the members of the ALAC who cast a vote as provided in the Rules of Procedure of the ALAC, and any decertification decision shall be subject to review as provided in the ICANN Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2. Reasons for the ALAC to pursue de-certification action, and to de-certify an ALS, may include persistent non-compliance with significant ALS requirements. The ALAC will provide advance notice to the ALS in question, and the ALS will have an opportunity to be heard and respond to the ALAC prior to a decision on de-certification. The ALAC will notify the ALS of its de-certification decision and provide information on requesting a review of the decision. I. Minimum criteria for an At-Large Structure: 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. From the NARALO Operating Procedures (https://community.icann.org/display/NARALO/NARALO+Operating+Principles+NA-20...) 16. When an ALS representative does not vote in 3 consecutive NARALO elections or does not contribute a comment on ICANN policy through collaboration on the At-Large discussion lists in 12 consecutive months, it automatically loses its voting rights and active status within the NARALO. The ALS should be notified of the status change and may regain its voting rights and active status if within the next 12 months it votes or participates to online discussions, otherwise the Chair will submit to ALAC a request for de-certification of that ALS. So the current rules for us are: - Since we don't tend to have many votes or elections, 12 months of inactivity can trigger losing its active status. Assuming they are notified of this, 12 months later, the NARALO chair can request that the ALAC decertify the ALS, which requires a 2/3 vote to pass. I note 2 things: - For an ALS that no longer exists, we could institute a new procedure to effect the decertification faster, but it is not clear that for most ALSs, there is any way of definitively saying that it no longer exists. - Based on rule 16, I suspect that MANY NARALO ALSs could be put in the non-active status. If we apply this rule inconsistently, we could in theory have problems (but in practice probably not). I guess our real target is to get such active participation from all of our ALSs. Alan