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Next Steps for ICANN Board Working Group on Anti-Harassment

21 March 2019
By

The ICANN Board Working Group on Anti-Harassment met with a small cross-section of interested community members at ICANN64 in Kobe, Japan, to discuss the Board Working Group's workplan and agree on next steps.

The community members in attendance shared many valuable ideas for the Board Working Group to consider in conjunction with ICANN org. For example:

Awareness-Raising Campaign

To launch a broad awareness-raising campaign by ICANN65. This anti-harassment awareness effort, conducted in collaboration with the ICANN Ombuds office, will highlight existing processes and procedures and provide information on the various ways to report harassment.

Research

To undertake research to benchmark anti-harassment procedures by identifying organizations that share characteristics similar to ICANN, including those that work actively with volunteers from around the world. The research will consider: How these organizations implement anti-harassment policies, their best practices, and whether they can be leveraged in the ICANN context. Input will be sought from community members to build on this benchmarking effort and further inform the ongoing work.

Public Session at ICANN65

To hold a public session at ICANN65 to allow broader community participation. Following ICANN65, a questionnaire will be launched to assess the broader community's awareness and understanding of ICANN's existing Community Anti-Harassment Policy and related procedures.

Training

To look at how anti-harassment training might be incorporated into ICANN processes. One particular idea is to explore training opportunities to be included in the leadership community programs so that new community leaders are informed and aware of the resources and tools available to address this important issue.

The ultimate goal of these efforts is one we should all share -- to secure an environment of mutual respect, support and collegiality for everyone in ICANN's global community.

We will provide regular updates to the community on our progress and look forward to continuing our work together.

Authors

Sarah Deutsch

Sarah Deutsch

ICANN Board Member