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Call for Generation Panels to Develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules

11 July 2013

Today, ICANN takes the next step in the implementation of the IDN Root Zone Label Generation Rules Procedure by publishing the Call for Generation Panels to develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules [PDF, 150 KB].

The IDN Root Zone LGR project will undertake work to develop the rules that identify the valid repertoire of code points for IDN TLDs, as well as the rules for identifying and possibly delegating any IDN variant TLDs. The work is carried out as specified in the Procedure to Develop and Maintain the Label Generation Rules for the Root Zone in Respect of IDNA Labels [PDF, 1.39 MB] and involves an Integration Panel, (to be staffed by paid experts), a set of Advisors to all Panels (formed of paid consultants, ICANN staff, or volunteers), and a set of Generation Panels (consisting of volunteers). This call concerns the latter.

Successful development of the IDN Root Zone LGR depends on having Generation Panels for each script represented in the Root Zone. Generation Panels are expected to represent their communities and to have members with the appropriate skills to perform the substantive work of creating the LGR for the script used by their community.

Each Generation Panel will be comprised of a chair and a number of community representatives, as well as members with technical expertise in the following areas: DNS, IDNA, Unicode, and linguistics of the relevant script. The Call for Generation Panels to develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules [PDF, 150 KB] describes the details of expertise needed, as well as the details of the selection process. Interested volunteers are invited to submit their CV and an expression of interest statement demonstrating how they meet the qualifications to serve as members or chairs. Communities that already have a working group dealing with IDN and Variant issues are solicited to contact ICANN if interested in forming a Generation Panel, partially or entirely based on such an existing working group.

Initially, Generation Panel formation is expected to cover the following scripts, already represented in existing applications from both New gTLD and IDN ccTLD Programs: Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cyrillic, Greek, Latin, Bengali, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Thai and Georgian. However, the call will remain open for those interested in serving on Generation Panels for other scripts.

Expressions of interest can be sent to idnvarianttlds@icann.org.