Security Council: A conceptual overview
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The Constitution of the Arbitrum DAO outlines the process for electing members to the Security Council, a group of individuals who are responsible for addressing risks to the Arbitrum ecosystem through the selective application of emergency actions and non-emergency actions. The Security Council is made up of 12 members who are elected by the members of the Arbitrum DAO through a democratic process. See here for the current members of the Security Council.
The role of the Security Council
The primary role of the Security Council is to address critical risks associated with the Arbitrum protocol and its ecosystem. The Security Council is responsible for making time-sensitive and emergency response decisions that protect the interests of the DAO, its members, and the broader Arbitrum community. The Security Council is subject to the oversight and control of the DAO's members, who have the power to remove Security Council members if they're not acting in the best interests of the DAO.
How the elections work
The Security Council is a 12-member council divided into two groups. Every six months, there are elections to fill the seats in these two groups, respectively.
Every elected Security Council member’s term lasts one year, excluding the first cohort’s member terms, which are truncated by the amount of time between the date of the first election specified in the Constitution and the date of the DAO's launch.
To become a candidate for the Security Council, you must be a member of the Arbitrum DAO. You must also have support from at least 0.2% of all votable tokens. Once the candidates have been chosen, all members of the Arbitrum DAO can vote for the candidates. The 6 candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to the Security Council. Additionally, the Arbitrum Foundation may set forth further guidelines and procedures for ensuring a fair, transparent and effective elections process.
No more than 3 candidates from the same organization should be elected into the Security Council. Also, candidates shouldn't have any conflicts of interest that would prevent them from acting in the best interests of the Arbitrum DAO.
The rules for the Security Council elections can be changed by the members of the Arbitrum DAO, but these changes can't be made during an ongoing election. Security Council members can also be removed from their position prior to their term ending if at least 10% of all votable tokens participate in a removal vote, and at least 5/6 of the votes are in favor of removal. A member can also be removed if at least 9 members of the Security Council vote in favor of removal.
Note that the Constitution is the most authoritative specification of the Arbitrum DAO's rules. If there are any discrepancies between this document and the Constitution, please feel free to submit an issue, and note that the Constitution takes precedence.
Why elections are important
The Security Council elections are important because they democratically determine who will be responsible for being vigilant about the security and integrity of the Arbitrum DAO. By holding regular elections, the community can ensure that the Council is made up of members who truly represent the values enshrined within The Constitution of the Arbitrum DAO.
In addition, the election process allows for the removal of Council members who are not acting in the best interests of the DAO. This helps to ensure that the Council always has the best interests of the network in mind.
Conclusion
The Security Council and its elections are an important part of the governance of the Arbitrum DAO. By participating in the elections, community members can ensure that the Security Council is made up of members who are trusted to represent the Arbitrum community’s values and to offer subject-matter expertise the community thinks relevant for the Council.
These needs will generally demand expert-level technical proficiency and experience across a variety of technical domains, but the Arbitrum DAO’s values and needs are likely to evolve over time. Developing an understanding of the Security Council mechanism and its purpose is very important, especially if you’re a delegate or are otherwise active in Arbitrum DAO’s governance.
If you're a member of the Arbitrum DAO, it's especially important for you to be aware of and support efforts towards risk management and progressive decentralization in order to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the Arbitrum DAO and the technologies it governs. This includes the management of expectations and perceptions within and beyond the Ethereum community. It also includes continuous, collaborative self-education.