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Board Chair update to DotAsia Members - 6 Sept 2023
by Board Chair DotAsia 07 Sep '23

07 Sep '23

Dear DotAsia members, This email gives you a brief report on the DotAsia Board meeting held on Wednesday 5 September 2023, and continues to share with you information about some topics the Board will be working through in September in preparation for a General Meeting towards the end of the year. Board Report - September 2023 The main matters dealt with by the Board during the 5 September meeting were these: - We did some more work on the agenda for our upcoming Face to Face meeting, which is planned in September alongside the APTLD meeting in Seoul. - We had a second discussion on some governance changes and improvements which we will bring to DotAsia members for consideration in the last quarter of 2023. - We received reports from the staff team on the company’s operations and finances. We also adopted the minutes of the Board meetings held on 2 August 2023, which will be posted at the following URL along with other Board Committee meeting minutes: https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-organisation/agm-and-board-meetings/ As I have reported in past months, the Board remains conscious that the Elections Committee review of the 2023 elections is still ongoing, looking at complaints about how the election was conducted. The Board has not yet received this report. As I mentioned in my report a month ago, once the report is in, we will organise a meeting for members to discuss the findings and follow up actions once we have worked through them. If the report includes recommended changes to the election process, we will work through those and include them in the governance change package I mentioned above, if the timing of the report’s arrival allows us to do so. Board face to face in September At its September face to face meeting, the Board is looking likely to finalise recommendations for Member consideration in two areas: - A new strategic framework for DotAsia, to clearly set out priorities across all DotAsia’s work and be clear about how we would measure achievement of these. This will be about consolidating and clarifying our work, rather than any sudden changes in direction. We have refined the drafts in Board Committees in August and September and will be able to conclude the Board’s role in this part of this process in the F2F. - A set of governance improvements to strengthen DotAsia governance, including improvements to the election process to prevent the sorts of problems seen recently, an update to the Articles of the company, improve the quality of Board selection processes, and various other matters. I look forward to those discussions with you. They go to the heart of improving DotAsia. The Board will propose concrete changes for you, but it is over to you as Members to consider those proposals and make decisions on them. If you have any ideas in respect of any of these topics - where DotAsia should focus or not focus, how our governance approach could be improved - I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or suggestions on any aspect of DotAsia’s work, please do contact me. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* +61-417-243-647 chair(a)board.dot.asia

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Board meeting update - 4 August
by Board Chair DotAsia 04 Aug '23

04 Aug '23

Update from the Board Chair 4 August 2023 Dear DotAsia members, This email gives you a brief report on the DotAsia Board meeting held on Wednesday 2 August, and looks forward to some topics the Board will be working through in September in preparation for a General Meeting towards the end of the year. Board Report - August 2023 The main matters dealt with by the Board during the 2 August meeting were these: - We confirmed the Audit Report for DotAsia for the FY ending September 2021. The audit process for the FY ending Sept 2022 has now begun. Later in August, the Board will meet with the Auditors to discuss both audits, ask any questions or clarifications, and hear from the Auditors direct as part of our improvements to DotAsia’s general good governance practice. - We conducted a brief Namesphere board meeting, agreeing to release the settlement funds arising from the settlement of the .box litigation to the company - these funds are currently sitting with our lawyers. - We further refined the agenda for our upcoming Face to Face meeting, which is planned in September alongside the APTLD meeting in Seoul. - We had a first discussion on some governance changes and improvements which we will bring to DotAsia members for consideration in the last quarter of 2023. - We worked through some key monthly financials for the company for the period to 31 July 2023. We also adopted the minutes of the Board meetings held on 22 June and 13 July 2023, which will be posted at the following URL along with other Board Committee meeting minutes: https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-organisation/agm-and-board-meetings/ As I have reported in past months, the Board remains conscious that the Elections Committee review of the 2023 elections is continuing, looking at complaints about how the election was conducted. I am anticipating that the Board will receive this report in August. We will organise a meeting for members to discuss the findings and follow up actions once we have worked through them. If the report includes recommended changes to the election process, we will work through those and include them in the governance change package I mentioned above. Strategic clarity and governance improvements At its September face to face meeting, the Board is hoping to settle on recommendations in two areas for discussion and engagement with members: - A new strategic framework for DotAsia, to clearly set out priorities across all DotAsia’s work and be clear about how we would measure achievement of these. This will be about consolidating and clarifying our work, rather than any sudden changes in direction. - A set of governance improvements to strengthen DotAsia governance, including improvements to the election process to prevent the sorts of problems seen recently, an update to the Articles of the company, improve the quality of Board selection processes, and various other matters. DotAsia Members are integral to both of these discussions and so the Board’s role will be to prepare clear, well-thought out proposals to discuss with you, and then to convene a General Meeting for decisions to be made. I look forward to those discussions. If you have any ideas in respect of any of these - where DotAsia should focus or not focus, how our governance approach could be improved - I would love to hear from you. The next ordinary meeting of the DotAsia Board will be held in the first week of September, deferred by a week from previous schedules to avoid the APrIGF week at the end of August. In closing, as ever, I want to thank you again for your continued interest in, and support for, DotAsia. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do contact me. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* +61-417-243-647 chair(a)board.dot.asia

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Update from 14 July Board meeting
by Board Chair DotAsia 18 Jul '23

18 Jul '23

Update from the Board Chair 18 July 2023 Dear DotAsia members, The most recent Board meeting of the Organisation was held last week, on Thursday 13 July. We deferred this meeting from the end of June, but it was in effect the ‘June meeting’ of the Board. This email is a very brief report back on key decisions taken, as promised in my first report-back to youil. The main matters dealt with by the Board during the meeting were these: - We ran through the draft Audit Report for DotAsia for the FY ending September 2021, and agreed to schedule a meeting for the Board to discuss the audit with the Auditors as part of general good governance practice. - We considered a number of matters related to Namesphere, which had its company AGM in June. This discussion included the settlement funds arising from the settlement of the .box litigation mentioned in my last update. - We worked on the agenda for our upcoming Face to Face meeting, which is planned in September alongside the APTLD meeting in Seoul. - We worked through the quarterly operations and financial reports for the company for the period ending 30 June 2023. We also adopted the minutes of the 31 May meeting, which will be posted at the following URL along with other Committee meeting minutes: https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-organisation/agm-and-board-meetings/ As I reported last month, the Board remains conscious that the Elections Committee review of the 2023 elections is continuing, looking at complaints about how the election was conducted. I am advised that the Committee continues to work through the advice from the independent legal counsel and is in the process of finalising its report. Once the report is concluded, the Board will consider it and work through it, and report back to members and stakeholders on the findings. At our June meeting the Board has planned to consider the matter of *by-elections for the current Board vacancies*. We did not do so at the meeting, and we are likely instead to do this after the Election Committee report and recommendations are received. The next ordinary meeting of the DotAsia Board will be held in the first week of August, deferred by a week to allow for participation by several directors and key staff at the APIGA event in Seoul at the end of July. In closing, I once again would like to thank you again for your continued interest in, and support for, DotAsia. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do contact me. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* +61-417-243-647 chair(a)board.dot.asia

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Member Update - DotAsia Board - May Meeting
by Board Chair DotAsia 07 Jun '23

07 Jun '23

Dear DotAsia members, The most recent Board meeting of the Organisation was held last week, on Wednesday 31 May. This email is a brief report back on key decisions taken, as promised in my first report-back to you on 12 April. These were the key matters dealt with by the Board during the meeting: - Election of the board Chair - Settlement of the .box litigation - Election Committee investigation update - Plans for the next face to face Board meeting We also adopted the minutes of the 26 April meeting, which you can find here <https://www.dot.asia/dotasia-files/board/meeting-minutes/board/DotAsia-Boar…> . I was pleased to have my earlier election as Chair of the Board confirmed by the Board at this meeting, with no other members nominated for the role. As I wrote in April I will bring all my efforts to bear to do this job properly in upholding DotAsia’s role and the Board’s duties to our members and stakeholders. A matter from earlier days has progressed, with litigation that DotAsia and Namesphere were involved with regarding the .box TLD having been recently settled. The settlement funds will shortly be paid across and deployed by Namesphere in line with decisions previously made. The Board remains conscious that the Elections Committee review of the 2023 elections is continuing, looking at complaints about how the election was conducted. I am advised that the Committee has engaged legal counsel independent of DotAsia and that they expect to see analysis from the lawyers about the complaints during June. The Committee will work with the lawyers to prepare a detailed report after that for us all to see and consider. The Board decided last month to consider the issue of by-elections for the current Board vacancies no later than the end of June 2023, to give the Elections Committee review time to progress further. We will report back to you again after the June meeting. Later this year will be the second of the two annual in-person meetings for the DotAsia Board. I have shared my thinking with the Board that we need to use that meeting to create a clear and solid strategy for DotAsia, and also to develop updates to our governance model. You can expect us to bring our thinking on these questions to Members to discuss and debate before the end of 2023. One final note. Scheduling errors meant I did not attend the DotAsia Advisory Council meeting in May; I have accepted the staff’s apologies for this. It is an important meeting, and I look forward to participating in the next one. In closing, I want to thank you again for your continued interest in, and support for, DotAsia. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do contact me. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* chair(a)board.dot.asia

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Member Update - DotAsia Board - April Meeting
by Board Chair DotAsia 05 May '23

05 May '23

Update from the Board Chair 5 May 2023 Dear DotAsia members, The most recent Board meeting of the Organisation was held on Wednesday 26 April. This email is a brief report back on key decisions taken, as promised in my initial email to you on 12 April. These were the key matters dealt with by the Board during the meeting: - Confirmed DotAsia’s legal representation - Discussed Board and Board Chair elections (more below) - Conclusion of the hiring process that was in train regarding the CEO’s role The Board is conscious that following the resignations of three directors in early April there are three vacancies in the Board, which should ideally be filled. The Board also notes that the Elections Committee review of the 2023 elections process is currently underway, dealing with complaints about how the election was conducted. The Board therefore decided to consider the issue of by-elections for the Board vacancies no later than the end of June 2023, to give the Elections Committee review time to progress further, and to give the Committee the chance to recommend any changes to the election process to solve any of the things at the centre of the complaints. We do not know what the Elections Committee will find or recommend, so we cannot decide the next steps yet. Once we do know what they are, we will advise Members as soon as possible. In any case, you will hear more about this subject after the June board meeting. Alongside this process, and in keeping with the agreed Board Governance Framework of DotAsia, the Board is working through the formal Board Chair appointment process. My election by the Board in April was done quickly and to ensure stability in the immediate situation, but now we have the time to do the full process. Nominations from among directors are due at the end of May, and if there is an election, this will occur at the June meeting of the Board. In the meantime I want to thank you for your continued interest in, and support for, DotAsia. The Board is pleased with the ongoing work of Edmon and the staff team in the short period of time since the 2023 AGM, and we look forward to continuing with the work, together. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair of the Board of Directors *DotAsia* +61-417-243-647 chair(a)board.dot.asia

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A message from the new DotAsia Board Chair
by Board Chair DotAsia 12 Apr '23

12 Apr '23

Dear DotAsia Members, I am writing to you to introduce myself as the new Chair for the DotAsia Board. I have been involved with ccTLD registries (in .nz and now .au) at the board, staff and executive level since 2000. My fellow directors have elected me to the role of DotAsia Board Chair unopposed, and so now I look forward to serving you and our broader Asia Pacific community in this role. First of all, allow me to thank my fellow Board members as well as the DotAsia community for your continued support for the work at DotAsia. Following on from the recent challenges leading up to the DotAsia AGM 2023, we saw last week the resignation from the Board of the previous Chair, Leonid Todorov, and two directors - Murad Ibragimov and Arthur Chang. I thank these directors for their efforts and know that they support the ongoing evolution of DotAsia as a key player in the internet for the region. As I step into this role, I would like to draw your attention to two key challenges before us. The first is that we have started this work at a serious time for the DotAsia team and organisation. Questions about transparency, the strategy for the organisation, the recent election process, and extensive litigation about various commercial matters are among the most significant issues we face. As a Board we will tackle the difficult situation we have inherited openly and with integrity. You can expect an update from me following each meeting of the Board, and of course like all the other Directors I welcome your feedback at any time. This leads to my second point: the DotAsia Board believes in moving on with a constructive and open governance approach for the organization, to solve the challenges I have mentioned and to strengthen the organisation at every level. I am pleased to report that the current Board is firmly in support of and appreciates the DotAsia team’s work in alignment with the vision and mission of the organization, and to be a voice for the Asia Pacific Internet community at ICANN and the regional and global Internet governance discussions. The Board will be looking to build upon the governance framework at DotAsia in a way that will affirm and develop a cooperative and collaborative approach, as set out in the DotAsia vision and incorporated into DotAsia’s Articles of Association. We will work to put the challenges we face now behind us, and we will do so working openly and constructively with the membership and with all our stakeholders to determine the best ways to achieve our shared vision. The Board is looking towards the coming year with enthusiasm, especially with the upcoming APrIGF in Brisbane in August, and the global IGF in Kyoto in October, where DotAsia will play a contributing role for the Asia Pacific region. We will continue with regular updates on the work from the DotAsia Board as we move forward. With many issues to work through we should have something meaningful to share with you each month. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Yours sincerely Jordan Carter -- Jordan Carter Chair, Board of Directors DotAsia Organisation

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DotAsia Board Elections 2023 - Election Result and Scrutineer Report
by Election Committee 23 Feb '23

23 Feb '23

Dear DotAsia Members, The voting period of the DotAsia Board Elections 2023 ended on February 13, 2023, 23:59 UTC. In accordance with the Board Election Procedures Section 2.3 and 2.5 I am now declaring to you the results of the 2023 DotAsia Board Election- > *2.5 Report of Election Results: "In accordance with section 2.3 above, > the results of the Board Elections will be declared by the Election Chair > and reported at the upcoming AGM.*" We apologise for our delay** in forwarding this information to you but we are pleased to inform you of the results of your voting, as shown below and have attached the scrutineers detailed report with greater details. We will also be, as usual, reporting on these results and this year's election, to the membership at the upcoming AGM. ** In recent years results have been made available to Members closer to the ending of the 96 hour dispute period after the close of voting. This year the votes cast for directors in the Sponsor Member category resulted in the requirement for the random drawing of lot(s) to select between 4 candidates receiving 11 votes each to fill 3 seats remaining once the geographic requirement for this year took the initial seat with coincidentally also the highest number of 12 votes. This random drawing of lots was performed by our online voting platform provider Bigpulse in a manual operation after the automated tallying was completed. You may find additional information regarding the security and standards of Bigpulse here <https://www.bigpulsevoting.com/about/security/>. It is also regular practice, over the last few years at least, to forward a preview of election results and scrutineers report to the Board at least 12 hours before the Membership announce list. This occurred on February 20th when the scrutineers final report was received to be attached. A number of questions were raised by some members of the Board in reaction to these results and the report, and we have made every effort within the bounds of our role and in compliance with the Board Election Procedures to answer these matters and issues where we can. We are well aware that this has not satisfied all the concerns raised and questions asked, but to continue these interactions and exchanges would only further delay your receipt of these results, in advance of your upcoming AGM. The Sponsor Member Category voting results for the DotAsia Board 2023 are as follows: ---------------------------- Ballots Issued: 24 ---------------------------- Voter ID: 715542 194942 120741 564685 535331 298878 596290 471325 284753 409655 363956 361297 508079 364205 514157 904329 333472 728030 445652 763055 677630 914410 626443 667896 --------------------------------------------- Ballots Received: 23 --------------------------------------------- Voter ID: 535331 298878 596290 471325 284753 409655 363956 361297 508079 364205 514157 904329 333472 728030 445652 763055 677630 914410 626443 667896 194942 120741 564685 ---------------------------------------------- Valid Votes Counted: 85 ---------------------------------------------- In accordance with the geographical diversity requirement specified in Article 33 of the M&A, there shall be at least 1 Director elected for the sub-region of Australasia & Pacific. The 3 candidates from Australasia & Pacific are: Jordan CARTER Australasia & Pacific Maureen HILYARD Australasia & Pacific Tenanoia SIMONA Australasia & Pacific Sponsor Member Candidate Votes Received Jordan CARTER 12 (elected) Jose Emmanuel DISINI 11 (elected) Maureen HILYARD 11 (elected) Nicole T. I. CHAN 11 (elected) Santanu ACHARYA 11 Tenanoia SIMONA 10 Thomas BARRETT 10 Kashif ADEEL 9 Note: Online voting platform provider Bigpulse performs a random draw if there are tie-breaker situations. ------------------------------- ELECTION RESULTS ------------------------------- Sponsor Member Category There were 4 vacancies in the Sponsor Member category. Based on the voting results and geographical diversity requirement, the following candidates were elected in the Sponsor Member category: Jordan CARTER Australasia & Pacific Jose Emmanuel DISINI Central and South East Asia Maureen HILYARD Australasia & Pacific Nicole T. I. CHAN North & East Asia The Co-Sponsor Member Category voting results for the DotAsia Board 2023 are as follows: ---------------------------- Ballots Issued: 8 ---------------------------- Voter ID: 771886 852554 203697 658962 756292 871757 ------------------------------ Ballots Received: 7 ------------------------------ Voter ID: 203697 658962 756292 871757 517759 --------------------------------- Valid Votes Counted: 7 Co-Sponsor Member Candidate Votes Received Akinori MAEMURA 5 (elected) Khan Md. Mahfuzus SALAM 1 Abstain 1 ------------------------------- ELECTION RESULTS ------------------------------- Co-Sponsor Member Category There was 1 vacancy in the Co-Sponsor Member category. Based on the voting results, the following candidate were elected in the Co-Sponsor Member category: Akinori MAEMURA ------------------------------ Note: In accordance with Article 40 (g) of the M&A, in case of an equality of votes, the election shall be decided by way of lot. The online voting platform is set up to perform a random draw in case of an equality of votes. BEP 1.3 Reference: Please find in the attached, the Report of Factual Finding from the scrutineer. The election results will be reported at the upcoming DotAsia AGM on Feb 26, Thank you very much for your participation Yours sincerely, [image: image.png] Cheryl Langdon-Orr DotAsia Board Election Chair 2023 Attachment: Scrutineer Report *NOTE*: In accordance to section 2.3 of the DotAsia Board Elections Procedures, this Agreed-upon Procedures Report on DotAsia Organisation Board Elections in 2023 will be provided for the information of the Election Committee members, DotAsia Board and DotAsia Members only and it should not be copied, referred to or disclosed in whole or in part to any other persons, and the third-party scrutineer will expressly disclaim any liability to any such party in this respect

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Reminder - DotAsia AGM (Annual General Meeting): Feb 26, 2023, SUN
by boardsec＠dot.asia 17 Feb '23

17 Feb '23

Dear DotAsia Members, Please be reminded that the DotAsia AGM will be held on February 26, 2023 at: 16:00 - 18:00 Manila Local Time UTC+8 (=08:00 - 10:00 UTC). It will be conducted in hybrid mode. In Person: Function Room Sulu, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila Online: https://agm.dot.asia (Link will be available on Feb 26) If you have not registered, please visit <https://agm.dot.asia> https://agm.dot.asia to register. Furthermore, now that we are back in person, for those who will be on-site, we also invite you to the joint AP* and DotAsia Dinner right after the AGM. We will meet at the Sofitel lobby at 18:30 Manila Local Time (=10:30 UTC) right after the AGM. Dinner venue: <https://m.facebook.com/people/TCC/100076125136941/> The Country Chef (TCC) Filipino Restaurant by the Bay Address: <https://www.google.com/maps/place/1302+Atang+Dela+Rama,+Pasay,+Metro+Manila ,+Philippines/(a)14.5519779,120.9802225,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3397cbde 9f867cc7:0xd69c3dbc5bc4595e!8m2!3d14.5519727!4d120.9824112> Seascape Village, Atang De La Rama, Pasay City, Philippines (4 minutes walk from Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila) In case you are unable to attend the AGM and would like to appoint a proxy to another member, you must complete and return a Proxy Form. Please return the form before February 24, 2023, 08:00 UTC or at your earliest convenience. The voting representative of your organization should already have received a Proxy Form via email. It is optional to appoint a proxy. Sincerely, Board Secretariat DotAsia Organisation

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DotAsia AGM (Annual General Meeting): Feb 26, 2023, SUN
by boardsec＠dot.asia 03 Feb '23

03 Feb '23

Dear DotAsia Members, We look very much forward to seeing you at this year's DotAsia Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held as usual in conjunction with APRICOT 2023. Date: February 26, 2023 (Sun) Time: 08:00 - 10:00 UTC (16:00 - 18:00 UTC+8) Where: Function Room Sulu, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila Online Participation: https://agm.dot.asia (Meeting Link will be available on Feb 26) DotAsia Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023 Agenda: 0. Administrative Welcome 1. Board Chair Opening Remarks 2. Board Election Chair Report 3. Board Report 4. Member Resolution & Discussions - Re-appointment of Auditors - DotAsia Memorandum & Articles of Association (M&A) update - CEO Position and Board Composition 5. .Asia Registry Backend Provider Report 6. Financial Report 2021-2022 7. DotAsia Highlights 2022 & Strategic Plan 2023 8. Open Discussions 9. Joint Dinner with AP* Retreat If you have not registered yet, please do so at https://agm.dot.asia. Details will be included on the AGM website as they become available. Sincerely, Board Secretariat DotAsia Organisation

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DotAsia Board Elections 2023 - Voting Period Begins TODAY January 30, 2023
by Election Committee 30 Jan '23

30 Jan '23

Dear DotAsia Members, The voting period for the DotAsia Board Elections 2023 has begun today, January 30, 2023. A customized voting ballot was sent to each eligible Sponsor/Co-Sponsor Member’s voting email address. If any eligible voting member did not receive the ballot email, please contact boardelections(a)board.dot.asia immediately. For your voting consideration, the received bios of candidates have been posted on https://www.dot.asia/board-elections-2023/ and on the voting platform. Once you have voted, you will receive an email from the scrutineer jesse(a)abacushkcpa.com to confirm your vote. If a reply of confirmation is not received within 48 hours of the scrutineer’s email, the vote may become invalid. Please be reminded again that the voting period ends in two weeks, on Monday, February 13, 2023, 23:59 UTC. You might also wish to review the 'Voting Process Webinar' held on Friday last week at http://aji.asia/boardelectionvoting Thank you for your attention and we look forward to your participation. Regards, Cheryl Langdon-Orr DotAsia Election Chair 2023

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