The Freename Forum

The internet administration ICANN has appointed a new ombudsman: Elizabeth Field from the UK, who previously worked for Amnesty International and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), will take up her post shortly.

The search was thorough. 36 applicants, including 22 men and 14 women, all from different regions such as Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America, registered their interest in the position with ICANN. Ultimately, eight candidates were presented to the Ombuds Search Committee, which then selected five candidates for interview - one from Asia Pacific, one from Latin America and the Caribbean, one from North America and two from Europe. Two candidates were then presented to the ICANN Board of Directors for an interview, from which Elizabeth (“Liz”) Field was ultimately selected. “The Board and I are pleased to welcome Liz to ICANN,” said Board Chair Tripti Sinha in a press release. “The Ombuds is a critical accountability mechanism, and Liz offers in-depth experience in providing Ombuds and conflict resolution services for large, complex international organizations. Her extensive expertise serving as Ombuds in a global non-governmental organization makes her particularly well suited for the role.” Gender may well have played a role in the choice, as female members of the ICANN community have stated that they would be reluctant to bring gender-related complaints such as sexual harassment to a male ombudsman.

Field is a highly experienced conflict and dispute resolution professional with more than 18 years of experience. She spent over ten years in a similar role with the human rights organization Amnesty International and most recently worked as the Anti-Harassment Coordinator for the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. She also worked for some time as a human resources consultant for WIPO. Field says she speaks French and Spanish in addition to her native English. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work in service of ICANN's mission, and I am honored to be able to contribute to the critical work of ICANN as its Ombuds”, Field is quoted as saying. “I look forward to building the crucial trust, respect, and relationships needed at this exciting and important time for ICANN and its stakeholders.

The history of the ICANN Ombudsman (now just “Ombuds” for short) goes back to the early years of the century: At the 2004 ICANN meeting in Cape Town (South Africa), the ICANN Board of Directors appointed the Canadian Frank Fowlie as the first Ombudsman. He was succeeded on July 28, 2011 by the New Zealand lawyer Chris LaHatte, who relinquished his office in July 2016. From July 28, 2016, Herb Waye served as ICANN Ombudsman, relinquishing the office on September 30, 2023. Since then, Krista Papac, ICANN Complaints Officer, has held the office on an interim basis. The office itself is not without controversy. Critics question the independence of the Ombudsman, as he can be appointed and dismissed by the ICANN Board and also reports to the ICANN Chair. So far, however, these fears have not materialized in reality. In any case, the competencies are manageable. As an independent, impartial and neutral body, the ICANN Ombudsman represents the interests of members of the ICANN community vis-à-vis ICANN employees, the ICANN Board of Directors and ICANN itself. Its responsibilities include resolving disputes, filing complaints and taking action in response to decisions made by ICANN staff, the Board of Directors or supporting organizations. The Ombudsman regularly presents the number of complaints, his function and his work in his annual reports. The current report covers the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 and is available free of charge on the ICANN website.

You can find ICANN's information page on the Ombudsman at:
https://www.icann.org/ombuds