February 2024 - Announce - DotAsia Mailman List Manager

Update from the EGM and Feb Board meetings
by Jordan Carter - DotAsia Board Chair 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

*Dear DotAsia membersHere is a report-back on the outcomes of the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 26 February in Bangkok, Thailand, and of the associated DotAsia Board meetings on 24-25 February. You will also read news of an updated Code of Conduct for DotAsia spaces and events, which we propose will cover members too. Members unanimously adopt changes to strengthen DotAsia’s governanceI am very happy to report that the updated Articles of Association for DotAsia were approved unanimously by members gathered in person at the EGM and online. The two separate meetings of Sponsor and Co-Sponsor members held online on 24 February each unanimously granted consent for the changes, and around twenty members were represented in the EGM on Monday.This is very good news. I would like to sincerely thank the membership for such a strong endorsement of these changes. They mean DotAsia’s future will be stronger, and they mean our Articles of Association are now up to date with the latest Hong Kong requirements.Thank you to everyone who contributed to this work of developing, scrutinizing and improving the new Articles. If you are wanting a reminder about what the changes are, check out this link:https://www.dot.asia/proposed-amendments-to-the-dotasia-articles-of-association-2023/ <https://www.dot.asia/proposed-amendments-to-the-dotasia-articles-of-associa…> Next Steps on implementing the changes, and the 2024 Board electionsThe adoption of the updated Articles means that the regular Elections of Board members will be done consistent with the updated Board Election Procedures document. You will soon get information from the Secretariat about the call for nominations etc. The Board is in the process of seating the Election Committee and the new Nomination Committee. When the membership of each group is decided we will announce them together. The new Nomination Committee will have an intensive start, with three key tasks: - assess all nominated Board candidates against the new requirements in the updated Articles- agree and publish a Code of Conduct for the election process, which this Committee will enforce- Identify a person to be appointed as a Board member, as provided for in the updated Articles. A call for suitable persons will be part of this process. You can find out more about all the changes to the election process on the DotAsia website:https://www.dot.asia/board-elections-2024/ <https://www.dot.asia/board-elections-2024/>Board Meetings Report Back from 24-25 FebruaryThe Board had two very constructive days of work together in Bangkok, with only one Board member unable to participate (Alireza Saleh). My thanks to all the Board colleagues for their constructive and collegial roles in the meeting.Our main agenda items were: - preparations for the Member Meetings on 24 and 26 February- reports into all of the company’s activities, including market development and community work, and Namesphere- review of the draft Budget for the 2024-2026 period- CEO goals framework- ongoing discussion on the Strategic Plan and how we will measure and report back on itThe Strategic PlanOur intention is to have the new Strategic Plan in force for a three-year period, 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027, matching the Budget year of the company. We plan to prepare a report on progress against the plan each year, dated 31 December, and covering the previous year’s work. This report will be shared with members in time for discussion at the AGM each year, starting in 2025. An update to the DotAsia Code of ConductThe Board has been discussing an update of the DotAsia Code of Conduct. Our initial view is that the Code should set standards of good behaviour not only for Board members and DotAsia staff, but also for all forums and spaces DotAsia creates.We have prepared an updated draft which is available at this URL: https://www.dot.asia/policies/BGC-002-DotAsiaCodeOfConduct-v-2-DRAFT-202402… <https://www.dot.asia/policies/BGC-002-DotAsiaCodeOfConduct-v-2-DRAFT-202402…> The Board will discuss this again at its April meeting, and would intend to bring this into force from the date of the AGM in May. Any feedback on this would be gratefully received - feel free to email me back your thoughts and I can share them with the Board, or of course you are welcome to post on the member email lists.More info on Board meetingsYou can find Board meeting minutes in the usual place on the website:https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-organisation/agm-and-board-meetings/ <https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-organisation/agm-and-board-meetings/>The minutes are published after they are approved by the subsequent meeting, so soon the formal minutes of the mid-February meeting will be published. The next Board meeting is in AprilAs part of our improvements in DotAsia governance, we have reduced the frequency of Board meetings, to have a more sustainable approach for Board members and for the staff team in preparing for meetings.Our next scheduled Board meeting will be in April, and I will write you a report after that. In the meantime, thanks again for being a member of DotAsia, and thanks for your decisions in support of the governance changes this week. That’s all for this update. Thanks Jordan *

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Important Reminder: DotAsia Member General Meeting and EGM (Feb 24 & 26)
by Board Secretariat 16 Feb '24

16 Feb '24

Dear DotAsia Members, Thank you for your continued support of DotAsia. In reference to earlier emails sent regarding the Proposed Amendments to DotAsia Articles, we would like to remind you of the two important meetings which we seek for your participation. The following resolutions will be put forward: Resolution 1: Adoption of the proposed amendments to the DotAsia as circulated to Members and posted on the DotAsia website at: https://www.dot.asia/proposed-amendments-to-the-dotasia-articles-of-associa… <https://www.dot.asia/proposed-amendments-to-the-dotasia-articles-of-associa…> Resolution 2: Adoption of the proposed amendment adding Article 33(3) to clarify that future amendments to the DotAsia Articles should require a majority of 75% of all Members irrespective of categories of Membership. ______________________________ Co-Sponsor Member General Meeting Date: February 24, 2024 (Sat) Time: 04:00 – 05:00* UTC (11:00 – 12:00 UTC+7) Online Participation: https://egm.dot.asia <https://egm.dot.asia/> (Meeting link will be available on Feb 24) Sponsor Member General Meeting Date: February 24, 2024 (Sat) Time: 05:00 – 06:00* UTC (12:00 – 13:00 UTC+7) Online Participation: https://egm.dot.asia <https://egm.dot.asia/> (Meeting link will be available on Feb 24) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) Date: February 26, 2024 (Mon) Time: 09:00 - 11:00 UTC (Local time: 16:00 - 18:00 UTC+7) Where: Meeting Room - Atheneum 3, Athenee Hotel Bangkok Online Participation: https://egm.dot.asia <https://egm.dot.asia/> (Meeting link will be available on Feb 26) ______________________________ We look forward to seeing you at the meetings. Please feel free to contact boardsec(a)dot.asia for any questions. Best Regards, Board Secretariat DotAsia Organisation *Please note that a typo on UTC meeting time from email issued on Feb 2, 2024 has been corrected. The correct UTC meeting time has been updated in this email. This is an announcement email, please do not reply to announce(a)dot.asia.

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Chair's Update - February 2024
by Jordan Carter - DotAsia Board Chair 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

*Dear DotAsia members and stakeholdersI hope this note finds you well, and enjoying a flying start to the year.In this note I’m sharing a few updates from the last couple of months, having decided not to write to you after the December meeting.The focus of your Board is probably very familiar to you by now. In December and January we had three areas of focus: - Finalising the proposal for your decision about updating the DotAsia articles - this has benefited hugely from your feedback, so thanks to all who shared some. - Preparing for the 2024 elections, which will be conducted after the decisions on the governance reforms. - Further refinement of the draft strategy.We have also welcomed a new director to the Board, Jose Lay from Timor Leste.Governance changes: decision time in February The moment of decision on the revised articles is close, with meetings having been relayed to you for 24 and 26 February.I urge all members to support the changes. They will modernise DotAsia governance and they will introduce some new protections for us all against capture and disruption. There are examples from the past year or two why such changes are important. Beyond that, it is our shared responsibility to make sure that Internet community institutions are well governed, and keep up with the legal frameworks they operate in. In these days of greater tensions in all sorts of areas of life, it is timely to bring our governance structure up to date and to strengthen it. I’m very happy to discuss the changes with you 1:1 if you have any questions or concerns.The next Board meeting is 24-26 February Your servants on the DotAsia Board will meet for our first in-person Board meeting of the year alongside the APRICOT conference and APNIC members’ meeting in Bangkok, Thailand from 24-26 February 2024.The main focus, besides the Member decisions about our governance, are: - Finalising the Board Election Procedures - these now incorporate new transparency as recommended by last year’s Election Committee review and the updated Articles. - Deeper dives into the company’s core business and operations, with the time to do so in a thoughtful and un-hurried way. - Finalising the new Strategic Plan to guide the company’s work, and starting to think about the upcoming budget for the 2025 financial year.That’s all for this update. I’ll be in touch again with a report back of what happens in Bangkok (and online!) before the end of the month.Thanks Jordan * -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* chair(a)board.dot.asia

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