[Chapter-delegates] Internet Society Board of Trustees Meeting Highlights

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UPDATE FROM THE INTERNET SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

The Internet Society Board of Trustees held its 106th meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 22-23 November 2013. The following are highlights from the meeting, and more details on the meeting agenda and related documents can be found on the Internet Society website, http://www.internetsociety.org/who-we-are/board-trustees/meetings.

1. Welcome New Chapters: The Board warmly welcomed the Paraguay Chapter to the Internet Society.  It was noted that this is the Internet Society's 100th Chapter, an exciting milestone for the organization. The Board reinforced the critical role of Chapters in extending the organization's voice and mission around the world, and the continued commitment for enhanced engagement with Chapters.    

2. Advisory Council Update: Scott Mansfield, Advisory Council Co-Chair, reported on numerous initiatives to enhance communication both within the AC, as well as across the ISOC community, including greater alignment with Chapters. At its next meeting in London, the AC will include a session for Government representatives to provide feedback on their first IETF meeting.  The AC is looking to engage AC members to help in opening the IETF community to Government representative involvement. AC report is available here: https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/2013-11-AC-report.pdf

3. IAOC & IETF Trust Updates: Chris Griffiths, IAOC Chair, reviewed strategic developments and key directions within the two organizations. He noted that attendance at the recent IETF meeting exceeded plan, and attendance from Latin America continues to increase. The IETF meeting calendar is set through 2022. The reports are available here: https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/IAOC%20ISOC%20BoT%20Buenos%20Aires%20v5.pdf and https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/Trust%20ISOC%20BoT%20Buenos%20Aires%20v1.pdf

4. IETF and IAB Updates:  Jari Arkko, IETF Chair, discussed many of the hot topics at IETF-88, including pervasive monitoring and the role of technology.  He mentioned that the YouTube live stream of the IETF-88 technical plenary with speakers addressing this topic has more than 5,500 views to date.  He also shared actions coming out of the IETF to address pervasive monitoring and related issues.  More details here: https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/IETF-ISOC-BOT-Nov2013.pdf
  
5. Chapter Presentation: Representatives from the Argentina Chapter provided the Board with a presentation on the Chapter's history and current work.  The Argentina Chapter was founded in 1995 and is one of the oldest ISOC Chapters.  It engages in a wide range of activities, including hosting and participating in many conferences and seminars.  The Chapter Board is comprised of numerous internationally-known experts.  The Board thanked the representatives of the Argentina Chapter for their presentation and excellent work. The presentation is available here: https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/ISOC%20Argentina%20chapter%20nov%202013.pdf
  
6. CEO Report: Lynn St. Amour provided the CEO report and discussed some of the challenges facing the Internet, Internet organizations, and ISOC, with a particular focus on recent Internet governance activities. The Board approved the 2014 Budget and Business Plan, which is integral to ISOC's longer-term strategy and continued commitment to fiscal responsibility. The plan continues to deepen and strengthen our regional presence, as we re-align additional resources under the Regional Bureaus (notably Chapter and Comms resources). This will help support a stronger, regionally-focused engagement model for Chapters and Members, and in the context of the changing Internet governance landscape provides a solid foundation for advancing the Internet Society's mission and priorities. To read the summary Business Plan, visit: http://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/2014-2016-ISOC-BusinessPlan-Financial-Outlook-20131111.pdf

7. Policy Update and IGF Funding discussion: Staff reported on the many recent Internet Governance topics and meetings, and highlighted areas of focus for the coming year, including the April meeting in Brazil. The Board agreed to increase support for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as an indispensable part of the Internet ecosystem by supporting the establishment of a legal structure to facilitate financial support and by making a sizeable financial contribution to further the IGF's work. See the press release: http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-board-takes-steps-strengthen-existing-internet-governance-institutions

The next Internet Society Board of Trustees meeting will be held in Hong Kong, 7-8 April 2014, in conjunction with the 2014 Internet Hall of Fame induction ceremony.