ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 14, Issue 4 – April 2014 Issue
PDF Version [664 KB]
http://www.icann.org/en/resources/policy/update
CONTENTS:
Across ICANN
Across SOs/ACs
- Names of Countries and Territories to be used as TLDs
- Closure of Joint ccNSO-GNSO IDN Working Group
- Update on the Proposed Framework of Operating Principles for Cross Community Working Groups
ASO
ccNSO
- The ccNSO Welcomes .ID as Newest Member
- ccNSO Meeting Evaluation Results
- ccNSO Chair and Vice Chair Election
- ccNSO Councils IANA Transition Process Coordination Committee
GNSO
At-Large
- At-Large Achievements at ICANN 49 in Singapore
- Rinala Abdul Rahim Selected as Next Board Director for Seat 15
- ALAC Submits Four Policy Advice Statements from March to April
- The At-Large Community Expands to 169- At-Large Structures
- ATLAS II Preparations Underway
GAC
RSSAC
Read in Your Preferred Language
ICANN Policy Update is available in all six official languages of the United Nations. Policy Update is posted on ICANN's web site and available via online subscription. To receive the Update in your Inbox each month, visit the ICANN subscriptions page, enter your e-mail address, and select "Policy Update" to subscribe. This service is free.
ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose
Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policy-staff@icann.org.
Policy Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees
| Address Supporting Organization | ASO |
| Country Code Names Supporting Organization | ccNSO |
| Generic Names Supporting Organization | GNSO |
| At-Large Advisory Committee | ALAC |
| Governmental Advisory Committee | GAC |
| Root Server System Advisory Committee | RSSAC |
| Security and Stability Advisory Committee | SSAC |
Across ICANN
1. Improving Policy Update
At a Glance
This month's launch of the new ICANN.org site and ongoing improvements to ICANN's digital engagement strategy has prompted a closer examination about how to best leverage Policy Update as a resource to deliver more effective policy development news and content.
Recent Developments
The Policy Development Support Team—in partnership with Communications Team colleagues—has been hard at work trying to envision a new Policy Update experience for our engaged readers and community members.
Over the next few months, we will be exploring innovative ways to connect with you on these ideas. We currently have over 6,600 subscribers who receive our monthly newsletter in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, and Russian.
Our future goals for Policy Update include:
- Defining effective metrics to help us discover…
where our readers are located;
what languages our readers prefer; and
the topics they are following the most; - Creating a more dynamic design to highlight news about policy developments and related activities;
- Improving our translation capabilities to increase multilingual accessibility and deliver translated content faster;
- Identifying more efficient and creative ways to deliver diverse content to our subscribers; and
- Empowering our readers with the tools to share content with others
Next Steps
Please look to this space over the next several months as we experiment with Policy Update, share our ideas, and invite your feedback. Stay tuned!
More Information
Staff Contact
Rob Hoggarth, Senior Director, Policy and Community Engagement
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
Kelsey Suemnicht, Global Communications Coordinator
2. Recognizing Our Community Leaders
At a Glance
With the support of the Policy Development Support Team, ICANN is committed to recognizing our community leaders for their service. Community members are critical to the success of policy development work at ICANN. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and for their leadership in our bottom-up community.
Recent Developments
During ICANN 49 in Singapore, the ICANN community recognized ten leaders for their service. These leaders included:
- David Archbold, Geographic Regions Review Working Group Chair
- Rafik Dammak, Non-Commercial Users Constituency voting delegate on the Nominating Committee
- Roelof Meijer, ccNSO Councilor
- Chris Chaplow, Commercial Business Users Constituency Vice Chair
- José Arce, LACRALO Chair
- Avri Doria, At-Large New gTLD Working Group Chair
- Sylvia Herlein Leite, LACRALO Secretariat
- Holly Raiche, APRALO Chair
Our community also paid tribute to the lives and careers of two past leaders. Marie-Laure Lemineur, chair of the Not-for-Profit Operational Concerns Constituency, remembered Alain Berranger for his service as the inaugural chair of NPOC. Bruce Tonkin, vice chair of the Board of Directors, gave remarks about Jon Bing and his tenure on the GNSO Council. Both Alain and Jon leave lasting legacies at ICANN and continue to inspire their colleagues and our community.
Dr. Steve Crocker, Chair of the Board of Directors, concluded the program by formally thanking our community participants on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors also approved a resolution at its public meeting on 27 March recognizing the leadership and contributions of our community members.
Next Steps
ICANN will next honor community leaders at ICANN 50 in London as part of a broader volunteer recognition program currently being developed.
More Information
Staff Contact
Rob Hoggarth, Senior Director, Policy and Community Engagement
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
3. Issues Open for Public Comment
A total of 13 public comment periods are currently open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. The following five opportunities for public comment have become available since the March Issues of Policy Update. Act now to share your views on such topics as:
ICANN Cross Community Working Group on Internet Governance's Submission to NETMundial. Join us in creating ICANN's new, overarching vision and long-term strategic plan; your input and perspectives are critical to our process. Comment period ends 29 April; reply period ends 21 May.
Interim Report Internationalized Registration Data Expert Working Group. Public comment is specifically sought on the proposed internationalized requirements for various data elements outputted by today's registration data directory service (WHOIS). Comment period ends 5 May; reply period ends 27 May.
Proposal for the Use of Mandatory Policy Advisory Boards for Regulated Industry Sector and Consumer-Trust-Sensitive New gTLD Strings. The purpose of this public comment period is to obtain feedback and collect broader community input into the further development of the PAB model, and to which TLD strings it may best apply. Comment period ends 16 April; reply period ends 7 May.
Call for Public Input: Transition of NTIA's Stewardship of the IANA Functions. To ensure that the eventual proposal is community-driven and enjoys broad support, ICANN is committed to collecting and incorporating input and feedback from the global stakeholder community. Comment period ends 8 May; reply period not posted.
ICANN Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan (FY16-FY20). Upon conclusion of the public comment period, the CCWG on IG will take into consideration the feedback provided and use it to inform its actions moving forward. Comment period ends 31 May; reply period not posted.
For the full list of issues open for public comment, plus recently closed and archived public comment forums, please visit the Public Comment web page.
The staff also populates a web page to help preview potential "upcoming" public comment opportunities. This page – "Public Comments – Upcoming" page – provides information about potential future public comment opportunities. The page is updated after every ICANN Public Meeting to help individuals and the community to set priorities and plan their future workloads.
Across SOs/ACs
4. Names of Countries and Territories to be used as TLDs
At a Glance
In Singapore, the ccNSO and GNSO Council adopted the charter of a new cross-community working group on the use of names of countries and territories as TLDs. After being invited by the ccNSO, the ALAC has indicated it intends to participate in this WG. A number of government representatives have also expressed an interest in participating in the effort.
Recent Developments
At their meeting in Singapore the ccNSO and GNSO Councils adopted the charter of the cross-community working group on Use of Names of Country and Territories (listed on ISO 3166-1) as TLDs. The purpose of this WG is to further review the issues pertaining to the use of country and territory names under the different policies (new gTLD, IDN ccTLD, RFC 1591), and, if feasible, develop a definitional framework that could be used across the different policies. With adoption of the charter, one of the two recommendations of the ccNSO Study Group on use of names of country and territories has been implemented.
Next Steps
The participating organizations will send out calls for volunteers, who will then be appointed according to the rules and procedures of that SO or AC.
Once the cc Working Group (ccWG) has been established, the ccNSO will seek support from the Governmental Advisory Committee to send a letter to the Board to extend the current rule in the Applicant Guidebook to exclude the names of country and territories (listed on ISO 3166-1) in all languages until the ccWG has developed a Final Report.
Background
The ccNSO Council established by resolution a Study Group on the use of Country and Territory Names on 8 December 2010. The Study Group was tasked with developing an overview of:
- How names of countries and territories are currently used within ICANN, be it in the form of policies, guidelines and/or procedures.
- The types of strings, relating to the names of countries and territories that currently used, or proposed to be used, as TLDs.
- The issues that arise (or may arise) when current policies, guidelines and procedures are applied to these representations of country and territory names.
The Study Group was comprised of representatives from across the ICANN stakeholder community and conducted its work between May 2011 and June 2013.
The Study Group advised the ccNSO Council to set up a cross community working group, with participants from ALAC, ccNSO, GAC and GNSO to further review the current status of representations of country and territory names, and provide detailed advice on the feasibility and content of a consistent and uniform definitional framework that could be applied across the respective SO's and AC's.
The ccNSO Council was also advised to request the ICANN Board to extend the current rule in the new gTLD Applicant Guidebook regarding the exclusion of all country and territory names in all languages, for consecutive rounds of new gTLD applications, until such a time that the ccWG developed the framework.
More Information
- More information on the ccWG, including its charter can be found at: http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/ccwg-unct.htm
- The Working Group will start its work, basing on the work of its predecessor, the Study Group on the Use of Names for Countries and Territories as TLDs. The Study Group's final report is available at http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/unct-final-08sep12-en.pdf [PDF, 717 KB]
Staff Contact
Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor5. Closure of Joint ccNSO-GNSO IDN Working Group
At a Glance
At their meetings in Singapore the ccNSO and GNSO Councils adopted resolutions to close their joint WG on IDNs (JIG).
Recent Developments
After submission of their Final Report on Universal Acceptance of IDN TLDs, the ccNSO and GNSO Councils asked the members of the Joint Working Group on IDNs (JIG) to propose a method to follow-up on their work. The proposal was submitted for the Singapore meeting. Based on the working group's proposals the Councils jointly decided to close the JIG and thanked all participants for their hard work.
Next Steps
Both the ccNSO and GNSO Councils will continue to monitor the progress of the various community-based efforts to resolve the issues raised by the JIG, and will evaluate on a periodic basis the need for any further policy or policy related work each for their own supporting organization.
Background
The JIG was created in 2009 to discuss issues of common interest between the ccNSO and the GNSO on IDNs especially IDN TLDs. The JIG has identified three issues of common interest: Single Character IDN TLDs, IDN TLD Variant, and Universal Acceptance of IDN TLDs.
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On single character IDN TLDs, the JIG's Final Report recommendation that these be delegated in the New gTLD Program and the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Program was approved by the ccNSO and GNSO Councils, and sent to the ICANN Board in May 2011. The JIG prepared a follow-up letter for the ccNSO and GNSO Councils which, after adoption, was jointly sent to the ICANN Board in February 2012;
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On IDN Variant TLDs, the JIG published an Initial Report in March 2011, and ICANN has launched an IDN Variant TLD Program to develop solutions to ensure a secure and stable delegation of IDN Variant TLDs;
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On Universal Acceptance of IDN TLDs, the JIG published its Final Report in November 2013, and ICANN launched a project to facilitate universal acceptance of all TLDs at the ICANN meeting in Singapore;
In November 2013, recognizing that further work needed to be done in relation to IDNs, in particular IDN variants and universal acceptance of IDNs, the ccNSO and GNSO Councils requested that the JIG put forward suggestions on how to deal with these issues and deliver these suggestions to the Councils at the ICANN Singapore Meetings in March 2014.
More Information
- More information on the JIG
- On single character IDN TLDs, the Final Report [PDF, 274 KB] and the follow-up letters [PDF, 58 KB]
- On IDN Variant TLDs, the Initial Report [PDF, 171 KB]
- On Universal Acceptance of IDN TLDs, the Final Report [PDF, 184 KB]
Staff Contact
Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor6. Update on the Proposed Framework of Operating Principles for Cross Community Working Groups
At a Glance
At the ICANN Public Meeting in Singapore, both the ccNSO and GNSO Councils approved a Charter for a new Working Group to take forward the initial work done by the GNSO regarding a Framework of Cross Community Working Group Principles, supplemented by feedback from the ccNSO. The new Working Group will be comprised of members from across the ICANN community, including all interested Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees.
Recent Developments
In October 2013, the GNSO Council approved the formation of a Drafting Team, co-chaired by the ccNSO and GNSO, to develop a Charter for a new Cross Community Working Group that will develop a final framework of principles to govern the formation, operation, decision making and termination of future cross community working groups. The intention is that the final framework will operate effectively across all ICANN's SOs and ACs, and enable the timely development of consensus recommendations on issues of interest across different SOs and ACs.
Next Steps
A call for participants to join the new Cross Community Working Group will be issued. In light of the importance of ensuring participation from across the ICANN community, the ccNSO and GNSO co-chairs of the Drafting Team will work with ICANN staff to coordinate the call for participation.
Background
The difficulties of chartering a cross community working group and agreeing on principles governing its operation, decision making and other processes have been recognized in the ICANN community for some time. These difficulties arise largely due to the different remits and varying operating procedures of each of ICANN's SOs and ACs. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of issues of common interest across the different SOs and ACs. The work of the new CWG in developing a final framework of principles that will operate effectively across all ICANN SOs and ACs will therefore impact all ICANN community participants.
In March 2012, the GNSO Council approved a set of initial principles relating to cross community working groups that were developed by a GNSO drafting team, with participation from the At Large Advisory Committee. The GNSO Council solicited feedback on the initial principles from other ICANN Supporting Organizations (SOs) and Advisory Committees (ACs), and the ccNSO responded with a set of detailed suggestions for clarification and additional principles. In October 2013, the GNSO Council resolved to form a new Drafting Team, to be co-chaired by the ccNSO and GNSO, to develop a final set of principles based on the GNSO's initial work and the ccNSO feedback.
More Information
- Web Page for the Drafting Team
- Wiki Page for the Drafting Team
- GNSO Council resolution approving the CWG Charter
Staff Contact
Mary Wong, Senior Policy DirectorASO
7. Address Council Members Engage at ICANN 49
At a Glance
Several members of the ASO Address Council participated in ICANN 49, actively representing the numbering community.
Recent Developments
Though the ASO Address Council (ASO AC) did not meet formally at ICANN 49, several ASO AC members were in attendance. These members participated in a variety of activities during the week from the Cross Community Working Group on Internet Governance session to a joint meeting with the At-Large community. The ASO AC members held various working sessions of their own and also conducted an open meeting with the ICANN Board of Directors. Additionally, many of the NRO Executive Committee members were in Singapore interacting with the broader ICANN community.
Next Steps
The next ASO AC Monthly Teleconference is scheduled for 12:00 UTC on 7 May. The ASO AC is expected to conduct a face-to-face meeting at ICANN 50 in London.
More Information
Staff Contact
Barbara Roseman, Policy Director and Technical Analyst
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst8. NRO and RIR Updates
At a Glance
This section highlights recent developments in the Number Resource Organization and the five Regional Internet Registries.
Recent Developments
AFRINIC| A call for nominations has been initiated for AFRINIC Board seats 3, 4, and 8. Details about the nomination process as well as candidate requirements are available on the announcement page.
ARIN| ARIN recently released new WHOis Terms of Use after a consultation process with the community. To learn more and to read the new ToU please visit the announcement page.
RIPE NCC| RIPE NCC's first regional office opened in Dubai, UAE. The office will allow RIPE NCC to better engage with its members in a region that is experiencing significant growth. For more information please visit the announcement.
Background
The five RIRs (AfriNIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, and RIPE NCC) provide Internet resource allocation and management, registration services, regional policy development activities, and technical services supporting the global operation of the Internet. RIRs participate in the global Internet community independently, and jointly through the coordination of the NRO. Per a 2004 MoU with ICANN, the NRO fulfills the role, responsibilities, and functions of the ASO.
More Information
Staff Contact
Barbara Roseman, Policy Director and Technical Analyst
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy AnalystccNSO
9. The ccNSO Welcomes .ID as Newest Member
At a Glance
Another member, .ID (Indonesia) joins the ccNSO!
Recent Developments
.ID (Indonesia) has joined the ccNSO family as its newest member – number 149.
Next Steps
The ccNSO invites further ccTLDs to join the ccNSO.
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager10. ccNSO Meeting Evaluation Results
At a Glance
The results of the ccNSO members' Singapore meeting survey are now available.
Recent Developments
The ccTLD community has provided their thoughts of the ccNSO member meetings in Singapore.
Next Steps
The ccNSO Meetings Program Working Group will carefully review the results and evaluate the feedback from survey respondents. Replies to some of the requests are planned.
Background
Traditionally, the ccNSO surveys the ccTLD community after each members meeting. This input is an invaluable tool for the Program Working Group, which learns what can be improved, and what topics should be dealt with at coming meetings.
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager11. ccNSO Chair and Vice Chair Election
At a Glance
Chair and Vice Chair Election: Byron Holland re-elected as chair ccNSO
Recent Developments
At its meeting in Singapore the ccNSO Council held its annual chair and vice chair election. Byron Holland, (CIRA, .ca) was re-elected as chair of the ccNSO. Katrina Sataki (NICLV, .lv) was elected as vice-chair and Keith Davidson (InternetNZ, .nz) was re-elected as vice chair. With the election of Katrina as vice-chair the ccNSO now again has two vice chairs.
Staff Contact
Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor12. ccNSO Councils IANA Transition Process Coordination Committee
At a Glance
In Singapore the ccNSO Council appointed Byron Holland, Becky Burr and Keith Davidson to the ccNSO Process Coordination Committee with respect to the transition ofthe current role of the U.S. Government in theIANA Functions.
Recent Developments
Following the announcement of NTIA on its intention to transition the current role of the U.S. Government in the IANA Functions the ccNSO Council created a coordination committee at its meeting in Singapore. The purpose of this committee is to coordinate the ccNSO efforts with other ICANN efforts aimed at including the broad ccTLD community in the process.
The committee may invite other members of the ccTLD community to participate in the work of the committee, if deemed necessary and appropriate.
Next Steps
The Coordination Committee will monitor the proposed ICANN process closely and based on these proposals, invite and involve the ccTLD Regional Organizations, and the ccTLD community at-large, to participate in the Transition Process discussions.
More Information
Staff Contact
Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy AdvisorGNSO
13. GNSO's Singapore Meeting Re-Cap
At a Glance
The GNSO held over 50 formal and informal sessions during the ICANN Public Meeting in Singapore. This included a very busy Saturday and Sunday GNSO working session, preceding the official start of ICANN 49. In Singapore the GNSO conducted its traditional 'Stakeholder Tuesday', its Wednesday public GNSO Council meeting (during which five motions were passed and a number of important issues were discussed, including the stewardship transition of the IANA functions), and concluded on Thursday with its Wrap-Up Session. This program took place in addition to numerous other meetings, consisting of updating the community on the status of GNSO work, and progressing the GSNO's various Working Group efforts.
Singapore: 50 GNSO Sessions and Counting
The GNSO held 50 formal meetings, including its weekend work session, during which it met with the GAC, the ICANN Board, the SSAC, the ICANN CEO and other senior staff executives. It was a very productive preparation for the days ahead that included updates from the various GNSO Working Groups, of which eleven are Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Groups and ten are non-PDP ones.
The overarching theme of the meeting was the announcement of the transition of the INTA's stewardship of the IANA functions, which happened just prior to the start of the ICANN meeting. In addition to the GNSO working weekend, the highlights of the week in Singapore were "Stakeholder Tuesday", Wednesday's public GNSO Council Meeting and the concluding GNSO Wrap-Up session on Thursday.
"Stakeholder Tuesday" included public meetings of all GNSO Stakeholders Groups and Constituencies as well as their respective meetings with the ICANN Board. Transcripts of all of these sessions can be found on the GNSO Calendar.
The public Council Meeting on Wednesday featured the resolution of five motions, including a Motion to Close the Joint IDN Working Group and Next Steps for Certain IDN-related Issues; the adoption of the Charter of the GAC-GNSO Consultation Group on GAC Early Engagement in GNSO Policy Development Processes, and; the adoption of two charters for cross-community working groups (see other articles in this section for further details). The Council also discussed in great detail the topical issue of Internet Governance, with a special focus on the transition of the INTA's stewardship of the IANA functions. In its discussion the GNSO emphasized the need to manage this transition through ICANN's bottom-up, multi-stakeholder, and consensus-driven approach. In this context it was pointed out that the GNSO is representative of a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Thus, in the ongoing discussion in the future of Internet Governance, it is crucial that the GNSO's various viewpoints are appropriately channeled.
The GNSO community echoed this view during the Thursday Wrap-up meeting, where it was also pointed out that the GNSO should actively seek to cooperate and coordinate with all other relevant SOs and ACs on the issue of Internet Governance and the transition of the NTIA's stewardship of the IANA functions. This is key to assure that this important debate remains inclusive and productive and is conducted according to ICANN's bottom-up, multi-stakeholder principles.
Many of the GNSO Working Groups held workshops and face-to-face meetings to update the community of their progress and to invite comments to inform their future work. This included, among others, the Privacy and Proxy Services Accreditation Issues Working Group, the Policy & Implementation WG, the Data & Metrics for Policy Making Working Group, and the IRTP Part D Working Group – who presented their Initial Report.
Next Steps
With the next ICANN Meeting taking place from 22-26 June in London, the GNSO is facing to a packed agenda ahead. As the GNSO Council Chair, Jonathan Robinson, noted in his post-meeting video message (see http://gnso.icann.org), until London "it is important for the GNSO and ICANN to engage others, outside of the community, with respect to the transition of the IANA function." This, of course is in addition to the ongoing policy development work that the GNSO is performing and so, the GNSO will be, as ever, "active, busy and involved".
More information
- GNSO Calendar for all past transcripts and MP3 recordings as well as forthcoming meetings.
Staff Contact
Marika Konings, Senior Policy Director, GNSO Team LeaderAt-Large
14. At-Large Achievements at ICANN 49 in Singapore
At a Glance
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and the members of the At-Large community achieved many policy and process-related goals during the ICANN 49 Meeting that took place in Singapore 23-27 March 2014. These included ratifying two policy statements, making considerable progress on the organization of the second At-Large Summit (ATLAS II) to be held during ICANN 50 in London, as well as announcing that Rinalia Abdul Rahim has been elected as the next Board Director for Seat #15.
Recent Developments
Among the many policy and process-related issues discussed during their meetings, there are several of particular note:
Singapore Meetings
- The ALAC held 24 meetings which resulted in the following Action Items: https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=43985520
- The ALAC and regional leaders met with the ICANN Board, members of the ASO, ccNSO, NCSG, NomCom, SSAC, and RSSAC (for the first time).
ALAC Policy Activities
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Ratification of 2 Policy Advice Statements
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An At-Large Multi-Stakeholder Policy Roundtable that included globally diverse speakers on the topics of Privacy and Proxy Issues and an update on the Expert Working Group was held. This roundtable resulted in excellent discussion with another Roundtable likely to be organized in London.
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A Term of Reference Workshop was held with full participation. Give the popularity of this Workshop, it is expected that there will be a follow up either in London or in Los Angeles.
ALAC Process Issues
- Rinalia Abdul Rahim was elected as the next Board Director selected by the ALAC/At-Large. She will take her place in Seat #15 at the Annual General Meeting in Los Angeles in October 2014. A video of her reaction on being elected is available here.
More Information
Staff Contact
Heidi Ullrich, Senior Director for At-Large15. Rinala Abdul Rahim Selected as Next Board Director for Seat 15
At a Glance
Rinalia Abdul Rahim has been selected as the Board Director (Seat #15) by ALAC/At-Large for 2015-2017 and will take her seat at the Annual General Meeting ICANN 51 (12-16 October 2014) to take place in Los Angeles, California.
Recent Developments
On 25 March 2014, in accordance with the process set out by the At-Large Board Member Selection Process Committee (BMSPC), chaired by Tijani Ben Jemaa, and with the candidates selected by the Board Candidate Evaluation Committee (BCEC), chaired by Roberto Gaetano, the ALAC/At-Large selected the next Board Director to fill Seat #15 of the ICANN Board.
More Information
- Public Information on Rinalia Abdul Rahim from her Expression of Interest
- At-Large Board Member 2014 Selection Workspace
- 2014 At-Large Board Director (Seat #15) Selection Process Results
Staff Contact
16. ALAC Submits Four Policy Advice Statements from March to April
At a Glance
The ALAC continues its high rate of preparing Statements in response to ICANN Public Comments periods as well as comments and communications. Between mid-March and early-April, the ALAC submitted four Policy Advice Statements.
Recent Developments
The four ALAC Policy Advice Statements submitted between mid-March and early-April are summarized below.
ALAC Follow-up Statement on the Technical Liaison Group Bylaws Revisions
- The ALAC is responding to the ICANN Board resolution regarding "Technical Liaison Group Bylaws Revisions" and its accompanying rationale dated 7 February 2014. The ALAC had submitted a Statement on the Proposed Bylaws Changes Regarding the Technical Liaison Group [PDF, 231 KB] on 16 December 2013.
- The ALAC has two concerns: 1) The removal of the Technical Liaison Group (TLG) delegate to the Nominating Committee (NomCom); and 2) the rationale of removing volunteer positions to save ICANN money.
- Removing the TLG delegate from the Nominating Committee (NomCom) weakens the coverage and undermines the inclusion of the Internet community in ICANN's governance processes. Having a person of technical expertise (such as the TLG delegate) on the NomCom aids the NomCom to: 1) recruit persons with technical expertise for positions in ICANN's structures; 2) Evaluate candidates' technical expertise being considered by the NomCom for positions in ICANN's structures; and 3) select the best candidates for positions in ICANN's structures.
- The ALAC is very disappointed with the ICANN Board's rationale that the removal of the TLG Liaison to the ICANN Board and the TLG delegate to the NomCom "is anticipated to have a positive fiscal impact on ICANN" and "will provide a financial savings to ICANN". It contradicts the rationale given by the ICANN Board in its September 28 2013 Board resolution which stated, "This action is not anticipated to have a fiscal impact on ICANN." It disparages the volunteers, not only those that have served on the TLG as liaisons to the Board or as delegates to the NomCom, but the multi-stakeholder volunteers (especially those not financed by industry players) in ICANN.
- We strongly believe that verifiable and verified contact information must be accessible to those with a right and need to access it via the WHOIS database. One option is to transform the contact information into a single language or specific set of languages using scripts that are representable within the constraints of the current WHOIS. Another option is to have the ASCII-based WHOIS record point to a non-ASCII based record, which would be maintained by the Registry and in parallel with the ASCII WHOIS.
- Transformed contact information that is verified to be accurate and useable allows users who can understand the information to see who are the domain name registration holders and how to contact/reach them.
- The transformation of contact information should be mandatory for gTLDs that allow registration of domains using non-representable scripts in the current ASCII WHOIS for contact information.
- Transformation of contact information for the purposes of a limited ASCII WHOIS would be applicable for registrants that use non-ASCII scripts in providing their registration information.
- The decision on who should bear the burden of transforming contact information should be informed by the views of and impact on all affected parties.
- If the transformation is required for general use, the cost should be borne by the process/entities that collect the information. If the transformation is required for specialized use, the parties requiring the specialized service should bear the cost of contact information transformation.
ALAC Statement on the Mitigating the Risk of DNS Namespace Collisions
- The ALAC welcomes the publication of the "Mitigating the Risk of DNS Namespace Collisions" study report by JAS Global Advisors but notes that at this stage, this report is incomplete.
- The ALAC notes the assumption on page 3 that "The modalities, risks, and etiologies of the inevitable DNS namespace collisions in the new TLD namespaces will resemble the collisions that already occur routinely in other parts of the DNS."
- The ALAC supports Recommendation 1 which proposes that the TLDs .corp, .home and .mail be permanently reserved for internal use, but considers that there are other potential TLD strings in high use in internal networks that should also be considered for reservation.
- The ALAC considers that Recommendation 3 sets too high a barrier for the application of emergency response options. In deeming that these responses be limited to situations which present a "clear and present danger to human life", this ignores a broad range of scenarios which may have huge detrimental impact.
- The ALAC reaffirms its view that security and stability should be paramount in the ongoing introduction of new TLDs and that the interests of Internet users, whether they be registrants of domain names in the new TLDs or users who are impacted by disruption to the smooth operation of internal networks, should be safeguarded.
ALAC Statement on the Announcement Regarding the Transition of the Stewardship of the IANA Functions
- The ALAC welcomes the announcement recently made by the National Telecommunications and Information Authority (NTIA) and celebrates the designation of ICANN as the organization in charge of convening the global stakeholders to develop a proposal to transition the stewardship over the IANA functions by designing a multistakeholder mechanism.
- We expect that the design process will be open and inclusive allowing the various communities, within and outside of ICANN, to be properly considered and taken into account by adequately incorporating and addressing their concerns and thoughts in the final outcome of this collaborative effort.
- The ALAC believes that the end user community has a vital role in the Internet governance ecosystem and must be a part of any process going forward.
- We call on ICANN leadership to ensure that any mechanism that replaces the stewardship over the IANA functions is based on enhancing the multistakeholder model, maintaining the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet's DNS, and several other principles and requirements.
- We commit to contributing to the process so that any outcome is a result of a bottom-up, consensus driven and multistakeholder effort in which the interests of the end users are properly taken into account.
More Information
- At-Large Policy Development wiki page
- All ratified ALAC Statements are posted on the At-Large Correspondence webpage
Staff Contact
Xinyue (Ariel) Liang, At-Large Policy Coordinator
17. The At-Large Community Expands to 169- At-Large Structures
At a Glance
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has certified one organization as At-Large Structures (ALSes): Age Numerique. This new ALS expands the regional diversity of the At-Large community, which represents thousands of individual Internet end-users. With the addition of this new organization, the number of accredited ALSes will now total 169.
Two more organizations are currently being voted on: Fundetic Bolivia (LACRALO) and ISOC Disabled and Special Needs (NARALO).
Due diligence is also being carried out for 6 other organizations.
Recent Developments
The ALAC has voted for the certification of Age Numerique as At-Large Structure (ALS). The certification process included due diligence carried out by ICANN staff and regional advice provided by African Regional At-Large Organization (AFRALO).
Additional information on the new At-Large Structures:
Age Numerique is located in the Ivory Coast. The mission of Age Numerique includes, among others, to provide thoughts on economic, political and social evolution in a digital area. It also brings concrete solutions to economic and political deciders whilst seeking to reduce the digital divide and to increase access. This organization will be an ALS within AFRALO.
APRALO RoP update:
APRALO has implemented new changes in its Rules of Procedure, and is now able to accept applications not only from organizations but also from individuals.
Background
One of the strengths of the At-Large community is that it incorporates the views of a set of globally diverse, Internet end-user organizations, or ALSes, organized within five RALOs. The views of these grassroots organizations are collected through an internal, bottom-up, consensus-driven policy development process and find representation in the official documents of the ALAC.
More Information
- A complete list of certified and pending ALSes
- Statistical information on global ALS representation
- Global map of certified ALSes
- Information on how to join At-Large
- ICANN At-Large web site
Staff Contact
Nathalie Peregrine, Policy staff support for At-Large
18. ATLAS II Preparations Underway
At a Glance
Planning for the Second At-Large Summit continues to make progress as the At-Large community shifts into deeper engagement on current end-user issues as well as preparation for its gathering in London this June.
Recent Developments
The ATLAS II Organizing Committee held four sessions at ICANN 49 in Singapore to continue its planning efforts, including the ATLAS II Fayre of Opportunities. The five thematic working groups for the summit were revised. ALSes will now participate in discussions about 1) the future of multistakeholderism, 2) the globalization of ICANN, 3) global Internet: the user perspective, 4) ICANN transparency and accountability, and 5) At-Large Community Engagement in ICANN. Also, the ICANN Constituency Travel Team has begun making travel arrangements for summit participants.
Next Steps
In the coming weeks, the ATLAS II newsletter, wiki, and webpage will launch to provide more comprehensive outreach tools for the summit. A webinar series focusing on ALS capacity building is also being finalized to offer ALS representatives more engagement opportunities ahead of ATLAS II.
Background
The first At-Large Summit was held in March 2009 at ICANN 34 in Mexico City. The ICANN Board of Directors approved ATLAS II in August 2013 to strengthen the bottom-up structure of the At-Large community by building capacity and awareness of the 170+ ALSes. Moreover, ATLAS II will further develop the At-Large community's engagement in ICANN.
More Information
Staff Contact
Heidi Ullrich, Senior Director for At-LargeCarlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
GAC
19. GAC Concludes Singapore Meeting
At a Glance
The GAC met in Singapore to follow-up on outstanding issues from the Buenos Aires GAC Communiqué [PDF, 97 KB] and to advance work in new areas. The GAC welcomed responses received from the ICANN Board, while requesting clarifications on implementation issues, and provided additional advice. The GAC also discussed future work and met with other ICANN entities. For full information please see the Singapore GAC Communiqué [PDF, 146 KB].
Recent Developments
In Singapore, the GAC restated aspects of earlier advice and issued ancillary advice on Red Cross/Red Crescent names, as well as on a few repeatedly debated new gTLD applications, including .wine and .vin. An exchange with the ccNSO on a proposed Framework of Interpretation for revocation of ccTLDs focused on achieving more effective interaction across relevant issues. Regarding working methods and future work, outcomes from GAC working groups and from the ATRT2 were discussed, as well as efforts under way in a consultation group to improve early engagement of the GAC in GNSO work. Further details are available in the GAC Communiqué.
Next Steps
GAC members will assess the Board's response to the Singapore advice, continue work in established working groups and prepare for the upcoming meeting in London in June, where the UK will also host a High Level Meeting for Governments.
Background
ICANN receives input from governments through the GAC. The GAC's key role is to provide advice to ICANN on issues of public policy, especially where there may be interaction between ICANN's activities or policies and national laws or international agreements. The GAC usually meets three times a year at ICANN Public Meetings to discuss issues with the ICANN Board, Supporting Organizations, Advisory Committees and other groups. The GAC may also discuss with the Board at other times, meeting face-to-face or by teleconference.
More Information
- GAC website
- GAC Buenos Aires Communiqué [PDF, 97 KB]
- GAC Singapore Communiqué [PDF, 146 KB]
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Senior Director, GAC Relations
Julia Charvolen, Coordinator, GAC ServicesRSSAC
20. RSSAC Continues After Successful Engagement at ICANN 49
At a Glance
The RSSAC convened at ICANN 49 in Singapore, providing the broader community with an update on its ongoing restructure efforts and an overview of current and upcoming activities. This was the first RSSAC gathering at an ICANN meeting since ICANN 1 in 1999, which was also held in Singapore.
Recent Developments
Members of the RSSAC Executive Committee engaged actively at ICANN 49. During the week, the RSSAC held sessions with the ALAC, GAC, and SSAC to raise awareness about its role in ICANN's multistakeholder community and explore future areas of cooperation. The RSSAC also interacted with the Board of Directors and senior ICANN staff on a variety of issues related to the root server system.
Next Steps
The RSSAC Executive Committee will continue its restructure work over the coming months leading up to ICANN 50 in London.
More Information
Staff Contact
Barbara Roseman, Policy Director and Technical Analyst
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analystupdate-apr14-en.pdf [663 KB]