Process for cities outside IETF meeting regions

[mnot]

To propose a city outside the "normal" regions, '[y]ou must write to the IETF discussion list [email protected] with your proposal for the IETF to meet in a specific city or country. You will need to explain why you are making the proposal and seek support from other IETF participants.'

This is an odd variance; other recommendations only require filling out an easy-to-use form and sending it to [email protected].

While it may be important to get community buy-in on new cities, especially if they're outside the normal regions, putting the onus onto the proposer seems designed to discourage stepping outside the bounds of the rich, Northern countries on the list.

In particular, forcing someone who wants to make such a proposal to weather the disfunction of the ietf@ list seems to be designed to raise barriers to them. I don't see this as equitable.

Instead, they should be able to send proposals to the meeting-planning@ address. If community consultation is necessary, that can be done on their behalf by the LLC, as is the case for 'normal' venues.

[JayDaley]

The policy for an exploratory meeting as set out in RFC 8719 requires a community discussion before a venue can be considered, and it is not within the LLC remit to change that. That policy does allow for "a future discussion list expressly set up and announced for this purpose" as an alternative to [email protected] - would that go someway towards addressing your concerns?

[mnot]

That would indeed help. Thanks.