As ICANN57 draws closer, I want to provide some clarity on how this meeting will be different from past meetings, and what you should expect.
In 2014, the ICANN Board approved the community’s New Meeting Strategy & Implementation Plan, which outlined the structure for ICANN’s three yearly meetings. ICANN56 in Helsinki was our first ever “Policy Forum,” which was shorter than prior meetings, and focused on community policy work.
In contrast, ICANN57 will be longer, with 7 days of sessions. The third meeting in the three-meeting annual cycle, ICANN57 is the “Annual General Meeting.” It aims to showcase the ICANN community’s work to a broader global audience, while also having days dedicated for Supporting Organization (SO) and Advisory Committee (AC) work.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we moved ICANN57 to Hyderabad, India. As a result, ICANN57 will be taking place Thursday, 3 November 2016 to Wednesday, 9 November 2016. Here is a general overview of what you can expect during each day of the meeting:
There will be two Public Forums during ICANN57, similar to ICANN55 in Marrakech, which was the first meeting of this “New Meeting Strategy.” Public Forum 1 is scheduled for Saturday, 5 November 2016, and will provide an opportunity for each SO/AC to update the community on their efforts, followed by time for the community to share their topics of interest. Public Forum 2 will focus on solely community comment and Board response, and is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 November 2016.
We will be holding a webinar on 7 September 2016 to provide the community with a full update on ICANN57, including information on logistics, accommodations and travel. Details on obtaining a visa will also be shared during the webinar, and as well as being posted on the ICANN57 meeting website. Make sure to keep an eye out for our webinar announcement, and join us then.