ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 14, Issue 7 – July 2014
PDF Version [647 KB]
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/update-2014-02-20-en
CONTENTS:
Across ICANN
ASO
ccNSO
- ccNSO Appoints Members to IANA Stewardship Transition Process Coordination Group
- ccNSO Quorum Interpretation Working Group Final Report
- ccNSO Contact Repository Implementation Working Group Final Report
- Global ccTLD Email List Created on IANA Stewardship Transition
- Post-London ccNSO Meeting Material Compiled
- ccNSO Welcomes its 151st Member
GNSO
- GNSO Discussion Group – New gTLD Subsequent Rounds
- ICANN 50 Update, New GNSO Videos
- IGO-INGO Curative Rights Protection PDP – Charter Approved & Call for Volunteers Issued
At-Large
GAC
RSSAC
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ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose
Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policyinfo@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. Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
Numerous public comment periods are currently open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now to share your views on such topics as:
Study to Evaluate Solutions for the Submission and Display of Internationalized Contact Data. This Public Forum invites comments on the study performed by experts that evaluates available solutions for the submission and display of internationalized contact data (such as WHOIS). This study documents and evaluates the potential solutions for submitting or displaying contact data in non-ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) character sets. It aims to inform the ICANN community regarding the possibility of transliteration, transcription or translation of internationalized registration data for its broader accessibility. Reply period ends 24 July.
.NGO and .ONG Registry Services Evaluation Process Request – Introduction of Technical Bundling. Public Interest Registry, the registry operator for .NGO and .ONG TLDs, requested to provide a new registry service to offer support for mandatory technical bundling of its second-level domains. The Registry Services Evaluation Policy requires the proposal to be published for public comment. Reply period ends 30 July.
.WED Registry Agreement Amendment – Introduction of Third-Level Domain Sales. Atgron, Inc., the registry operator of .WED, requested to allow sale of third-level domains in the TLD, and submitted 11,000 domain names in which it would offer registrations. The Registry Services Evaluation Policy requires the proposal to be published for public comment. Reply period ends 31 July.
WHOIS Requirements and National Law Conflicts. Offer your comments or suggest changes to the WHOIS National Law Conflict Procedure. This describes a process for ICANN and its registrars and registries to collect, display or distribute WHOIS data when there is a conflict with local or national laws. Reply period ends 1 August.
.PARIS – Introduction of Approved Launch Program. The City of Paris, the registry operator for .PARIS, applied to register certain domain names prior to the completion of the Sunrise Period for the TLD. The Approved Launch Program Application Process requires the application to be posted for public comment. Reply period ends 1 August.
Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names in the New gTLD Namespace. Six registries representing 148 TLDs requested ICANN to release certain two-character strings. The Registry Services Evaluation Policy requires these proposals to be published for public comment. Reply period ends 1 August.
Universal Acceptance of TLDs Draft Roadmap. Comment on a proposed way forward to address technical acceptance issues with the use of domain names and related Internet identifiers, regardless of the written script, length or newness of a TLD. Reply period ends 8 August.
Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names for .DEALS, XN-FJQ720A, .CITY, .XYZ, .COLLEGE, .GOP, .TRADE, .WEBCAM, .BID, .HEALTHCARE, .WORLD, .BAND. Four registries representing 12 TLDs requested ICANN to release certain two-character labels. The Registry Services Evaluation Policy requires these proposals to be published for public comment. Comment period ends 29 July; reply period ends 20 August.
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.
ASO
2. ASO Address Council Convenes at ICANN 50
At a Glance
The ASO Address Council met at ICANN 50 for a successful week of activities.
Recent Developments
The ASO AC briefed the community on its recent work including IPv4 depletion and transfers. The presentation, recordings, and transcripts are available here as a resource. The ASO AC met with the ICANN Board of Directors in an open meeting to discuss the transition of NTIA's stewardship of the IANA functions as well as other matters related to addressing policy.
Next Steps
The next ASO AC teleconference is scheduled for 6 August 2014 at 12:00 UTC.
More Information
Staff Contact
Barbara Roseman, Policy Director and Technical Analyst
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
ccNSO
3. ccNSO Appoints Members to IANA Stewardship Transition Process Coordination Group
At a Glance
The ccNSO Council confirmed four ccTLD members on IANA Stewardship Transition Process Coordination Group.
Recent Developments
At its meeting in London the ccNSO Council appointed a Selection Committee, which included:
- One representative appointed by the Regional ccTLD Organizations.
- One representative from ccTLDs that are not a member of the ccNSO.
- One ccTLD that is a ccNSO member.
- Two ccNSO Council members, including the chair of the ccNSO.
After an open call to or nominations to all ccTLDs (members and non-members of the ccNSO) and extensive deliberation this Committee selected the following persons as the four ccTLD members on the Coordination Group:
- Martin Boyle (.UK)
- Keith Davidson (.NZ)
- Xiaodong Lee (.CN)
- Mary Uduma (.NG)
The ccNSO Council confirmed the selection by email vote.
Background
On 6 June ICANN announced that the Coordination Group would be comprised of 27 individual members who will be selected through their respective communities and processes and that "care is urged to ensure diligent observance to diversity standards and to guard against any conflict of interest." Four of these 27 places on the Coordinating Group were reserved for ccTLDs, both ccNSO members and non-ccNSO members, as selected by the ccNSO.
At its meeting on 25 June 2014, and after consultation of the ccTLD Regional Organizations and the ccTLD managers present at the London meeting, the ccNSO Council appointed a selection committee, which was tasked to select the four ccTLD members on the IANA Stewardship Transition Process Coordination Group (selectees). The Selection Committee was comprised of:
- Alberto Pérez Gómez , .ES, non-ccNSO member
- Byron Holland, .CA, chair of the ccNSO, chair of the committee
- Young Eum Lee, .KR, ccNSO Councilor
- Patricio Poblete, .CL, member of the ccNSO
- Giovanni Seppia, .EU, ccTLD Regional Organization appointed member
After a call for nominations and extensive discussion the selection committee agreed on the candidates.
More Information
Staff Contact
Bart Boswinkel, ccNSO Senior Policy Advisor
4. ccNSO Quorum Interpretation Working Group Final Report
At a Glance
The ccNSO Quorum Interpretation Working Group has submitted its final report and recommendations to the ccNSO Council for approval.
Recent Developments
The Working Group's final report was submitted to the Council prior to the London meeting. However, due to time constraints, the Council has not yet discussed the report and its recommendations.
Background
After reviewing the final report of the Quorum Interpretation Working Group's predecessor, the Quorum Study Group, the ccNSO Council decided that one of the recommendations of the Study Group (Recommendation 2) needed further exploration before a final decision was made:
Develop a mechanism where ccNSO members can indicate how their "non-vote' should be interpreted during a vote – indicating (1) "Abstain", (2) "Will not subscribe to policy",or (3) "Do not count me as quorum" – the last meaning that the member does not consider itself having enough insight on the matter, but does not want to hinder the issue to pass a voting.
The Study Group had recommended this remedy because there are times when not enough votes are received to meet quorum requirements in ccNSO elections and voting periods.
The Council wanted to properly explore the implications of this recommendation and to find out whether there is adequate Community support for such a change. The Quorum Interpretation Working Group was formed in April 2014 with the aim to:
- Clarify what the various meanings of a "No vote" are.
- Analyze what implications the suggested model in the recommendation in question could have.
- Find out the community sentiments on this recommendation.
- Based on the outcome – make a final recommendation to the Council.
In order to find out what the ccNSO members' sentiments were regarding the recommendation, a short survey was conducted during May/June 2014.
As it was felt that there was no adequate support amongst the membership to implement such a solution, the final recommendation of the Working Group is that the recommendation should not be enforced.
Next Steps
The ccNSO Council is expected to adopt the report with its recommendations at its next Council meeting.
More Information
- Quorum Interpretation Working Group Final Report [PDF, 153 KB]
- Quorum Study Group Final Report [PDF, 104 KB]
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
5. ccNSO Contact Repository Implementation Working Group Final Report
At a Glance
The ccNSO Contact Repository Implementation Working Group ("CRI-WG") has published its final report.
Recent Developments
The ccNSO Council has approved the CRI-WG final report and its recommendations.
Background
The CRI-WG was launched in April 2011, following the recommendations of the prior Incident Response Working Group ("IR-WG"). The CRI-WG explored the costs and other relevant factors to implement, maintain and operate an incident response repository, as proposed by the IR-WG. ccTLD Community members were surveyed in December 2013, in order to get a feel of what the level of interest was for such a service. The CRI-WG recommendations are based on the outcomes of this survey.
Next Steps
Following the recommendations of the CRI-WG, a follow-up Working Group (the Secure Email Communication for ccTLD Incident Response – "SECIR-WG") will be established, with the goal to implement a very simple secure mailing list. This effort is going to be made in cooperation with Regional Organizations and other actors with similar initiatives.
More Information
- Final Report ccNSO Contact Repository Implementation Working Group
- Survey Results about the need for a ccTLD Contact Repository
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
6. Global ccTLD Email List Created on IANA Stewardship Transition
At a Glance
A global email list for ccTLD managers has been created to share information with and engage ccTLD managers in the IANA Stewardship Transition Process.
Recent Developments
In order to inform all ccTLD managers about the IANA Stewardship transition process and engage them in this process, the ccNSO has created an email list. Subscribers to the list will only receive postings from the ccNSO Secretariat, but cannot post themselves.
Next Steps
The email list will be maintained only for the duration of the IANA Stewardship Transition Process. ccTLD managers can unsubscribe at any time.
If you are a ccTLD manager and have not received an email about the IANA Stewardship Transition Process, please contact the ccNSO.
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
7. Post-London ccNSO Meeting Material Compiled
At a Glance
The ccNSO has gathered all relevant ccNSO London meeting materials for you in one place on the ccNSO website.
More Information
- London Meetings Page
- Audio and Transcripts
- ccNSO Meetings Highlights report [PDF, 108 KB]
- ccNSO Presentations
- Tech Day Presentations
- Meeting Evaluation
- Youtube video
- Flickr
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
8. ccNSO Welcomes its 151st Member
At a Glance
.RO (Romania) joins the ccNSO as member number 151.
Recent Developments
During the London meeting, the ccNSO Council approved Romania as the latest ccNSO member. The ccNSO now includes 151 members, with 40 from the European region.
Next Steps
The ccNSO welcomes further ccTLDs to join!
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
GNSO
9. GNSO Creates Discussion Group for New gTLD Subsequent Rounds
At a Glance
The Non-PDP Discussion Group for New gTLD Subsequent Rounds has been created by the GNSO Council to discuss experiences gained from the first round of new gTLD applications and identify subjects for future issue reports, as applicable.
Recent Developments
A Call for Volunteers was circulated and the Discussion Group membership is currently being established. Participation is open to anyone interested. Community members who wish to join the group should email the GNSO Secretariat, clearly indicating whether they would like to be subscribed as a member or an observer to the mailing list. For further information, including a description of the member/ observer distinction, please see the volunteer announcement here.
Background
In June 2008, the ICANN Board adopted the GNSO's policy recommendations for the introduction of new gTLDs and directed staff to develop an implementation plan for a new gTLD introduction process. In June 2011, the ICANN Board approved an Application Guidebook ("AGB") for new gTLDs and authorized the launch of the New gTLD Program. The AGB provided that it was intended to govern "the first round of what is to be an ongoing process for the introduction of new gTLDs" and that "ICANN's goal [was] to launch subsequent gTLD application rounds as quickly as possible." The timing of subsequent rounds was to be based on "experiences gained and changes required after this round is completed" with a "goal…for the new application round to begin within one year of the close of the application submission period for the initial round."
With the application submission period for the initial round closing in June 2012, the GNSO Council believes that it has a continuing interest and role to play in evaluating the experiences of the first application round and proposing policy recommendations, if necessary, for changes to subsequent rounds. This Discussion Group is being created to begin that evaluation process and possibly identify areas for future GNSO policy development.
Next Steps
After allowing adequate time for community members to join the Discussion Group, a meeting schedule will be established and meetings will commence.
More Information
- Call for Volunteers announcement
- GNSO Active Project page
Staff Contact
Steve Chan, Sr. Policy Manager for the GNSO
10. ICANN 50 Update, New GNSO Videos
Recent Developments
ICANN 50 marked a very busy meeting for the GNSO. Over 60 meeting sessions were conducted in London. In addition to constructive exchanges with ICANN senior executives, the GNSO used its time in London to discuss important topics, such as the Final Report of the Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services, the stewardship transition of the IANA functions and the enhancement of ICANN accountability. The GNSO Council also tabled and passed two motions during its public meeting in London: (1) the approval of a charter for a PDP working group for IGO and INGO access to Curative Rights and Protection Mechanisms; and (2) the creation of a discussion group to assess the experiences gained by the first round of new gTLD applications to identify possible topics for future Issue Reports (see previous story, "GNSO Creates Discussion Group for New gTLD Subsequent Rounds").
Jonathan Robinson, GNSO Council chair, recently shared his thoughts on some of the policy issues addressed by the Council in London during a video interview. Video clips of Jonathan's explanation of how the GNSO operates during an ICANN meeting, his thoughts on the GNSO's next steps now that the EWG's Final Report [PDF, 5.24 MB] has been published and his description of the GNSO's initiative to assess the new gTLD program through a discussion group will soon be posted on the GNSO video site.
More Information
Many of the chairs of the GNSO's Stakeholder Groups and Constituency also gave video interviews, explaining the work of their groups, inviting newcomers to join and giving their thoughts on some of the hot topics that are currently being discussed among their peers. Make sure to check the GNSO video site, ICANN YouTube channel, and the GNSO Twitter account for video postings and updates during the coming days and weeks.
Staff Contact
11. IGO-INGO Curative Rights Protection GNSO PDP – Charter Approved & Call for Volunteers Issued
At a Glance
Following its recent approval of a new Policy Development Process to consider access by International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) and International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) to curative rights protection mechanisms such as the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and the Uniform Rapid Suspension procedure (URS), the GNSO Council has approved a Charter for the PDP Working Group to be formed to develop policy recommendations on this topic. A Call for Volunteers has also been issued for participants to the Working Group.
Recent Developments
On 5 June 2014 the GNSO Council resolved to launch a new PDP to explore the issue of access by IGOs and INGOs to certain curative rights protection mechanisms centered on dispute resolution for second level domain names. The GNSO Council's vote followed the issuance of an Issue Report – an ICANN Bylaws-mandated preceding step to a GNSO PDP – and public comments from the community. On 25 June 2014 the GNSO Council approved the Charter that will govern the deliberations of the Working Group to be formed. A Call for Volunteers to the Working Group was issued following the Council's approval of the WG Charter.
Next Steps
A mailing list has been created for the WG, and volunteers – either as Members or Observers – continue to be accepted. GNSO Council Vice-Chair Volker Greimann is Council liaison to and interim chair of the WG, pending the WG's selection of a permanent chair. The WG is expected to convene for its first meeting within the next few weeks.
Background
In November 2013, the GNSO Council unanimously approved all the consensus recommendations of its PDP WG on the Protection of International Governmental Organizations in All gTLDs (IGO-INGO PDP WG). One of these recommendations had been that the Council request an Issue Report, as a preceding step to a possible PDP, on the issue of access to and use of curative rights protection mechanisms such as the UDRP and the URS by protected IGOs and INGOs. The Preliminary Issue Report was published for public comment on 10 March 2014. A report of public comments received was published on 16 May 2014, and a Final Issue Report incorporating relevant public comments was prepared and sent to the GNSO Council on 25 May 2014.
IGOs and INGOs currently have difficulties relying on the UDRP and URS to protect their identifiers at the second level. For IGOs, the procedural requirement to agree to submit to the jurisdiction of a court for purposes of an appeal is seen as potentially jeopardizing their status as being immune from national jurisdiction. For both IGOs and INGOs, the current mechanisms are premised on the ownership of a trademark or other such right – while some may own trademarks in their names and/or acronyms, this is not necessarily the case for all IGOs and INGOs.
This PDP will explore whether or not the UDRP and URS should be amended (and if so in what way) to allow for IGO and INGO access and use, or whether a separate narrowly tailored dispute resolution procedure specifically applicable only to protected IGOs and INGOs should be developed. Of note is the specific limitation of the PDP to only those IGO and INGO identifiers that had previously been listed by the earlier IGO-INGO PDP WG as eligible for protection, in its consensus recommendations adopted by the GNSO Council in November 2013.
More Information
- November 2013 Final Report of the IGO-INGO PDP WG [PDF, 645 KB]
- May 2014 Final Issue Report on IGO & INGO Access to Curative Rights Protection Mechanisms [PDF, 1.19 MB]
- June 2014 GNSO Council resolution initiating the PDP
- Webpage for the PDP WG
- Call for Volunteers to the PDP WG
- WG Charter [PDF, 604 KB]
Staff Contact
Mary Wong, Senior Policy Director
At-Large
12. ALAC Policy Advice Activities from mid-June to mid-July
At a Glance
After the successful completion of the second At-Large Summit, the ALAC has intensified its pace preparing Statements in response to ICANN Public Comments periods, as well as other comments and communications. Between mid-June and mid-July, the ALAC submitted two Policy Advice Statements; one of which is pending ratification. Notably, the Asian, Australasian and Pacific Islands Regional At-Large Organization (APRALO) have enhanced their engagement in the Policy Advice activities; two APRALO community members held the pen for ALAC Policy Advice Statements for the first time.
Recent Developments
The two ALAC Policy Advice Statements submitted between mid-June and mid-July are summarized below.
ALAC Statement on the ICANN Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan (FY16 – FY20)
- The ALAC acknowledges the efforts by ICANN to incorporate the various comments from "ICANN's Draft Vision, Mission & Focus Areas for a Five-Year Strategic Plan" in this document and suggests an attempt to summarise the strategic plan on one page be kept.
- The ALAC asks if any analysis was done for previous ICANN Strategic Plans as to whether the objectives from prior Strategic Plans were achieved or not.
- The ALAC notes the lack of translated versions of this document from the beginning of this public comment.
- The ALAC suggests that ICANN: 1) Add a focus on improving the technical universal acceptance of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the application level under Focus Area #2; 2) include a focus on improving the logistical support needed for ICANN's Board, Staff and the various ACs and SOs under Focus Area #3; and 3) reword the sentence under Focus Area #4.1 as "Ensure ICANN's stakeholder groups' role in the evolving Internet ecosystem is clear, recognized, and well understood worldwide."
- The ALAC finds the draft operating plan and budget well designed and presented, but the ALAC expressed the following observations and questions:
- 1.1.2 How was the 33 million registrations figure in FY15 calculated?
- 1.4 Please clarify how can the "impact of FY14 capital investments (Salesforce.com, Digital Platform, website, etc.)" be "depreciation expenses?"
- 1.6 Please clarify how can the $3.7M increase in "GSE/Gov.Eng./Public Resp" represent 117.2 percent? Furthermore, the YOY operating expenses growth appears to be taking neither the USG transition (B) nor the other priority areas (C) into consideration.
- 1.7 After more than a full year of experience, predicting the number of new registry for FY15 is a simple exercise. Thus, the risk of a slower ramp up of registries could not be high.
- 3.1 If increase in staff costs for the program is not duplication, and those expenses were subtracted from the normal ICANN budget, it should be clearly mentioned.
- 3.1 / 3.4. For FY13, there should not be any difference between the April 2014 and the June 2013 estimations since June 2013 is the end of FY13 with figures that are not estimations but actual values.
- The ALAC hopes that the planning process for FY16 and the interaction with the community will be improved significantly so that the remarks of the community may impact the final plan and budget.
The At-Large community has been commenting on the ALAC Statement on the Universal Acceptance of TLDs Draft Roadmap drafted by Satish Babu, the Vice-Chair of APRALO. He became a penholder for an ALAC Policy Advice Statement for the first time.
Three ALAC Policy Advice Statements are currently being drafted:
- ALAC Statement on Enhancing ICANN Accountability – Chester Soong, an APRALO member and one of the drafters, is also a first-time penholder for an ALAC Policy Advice Statement.
- ALAC Statement on the Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names in the New gTLD Namespace
- ALAC Statement on the Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names for .DEALS, XN--FJQ720A, .CITY, .XYZ, .COLLEGE, .GOP, .TRADE, .WEBCAM, .BID, .HEALTHCARE, .WORLD, .BAND
More Information
Staff Contact
Xinyue (Ariel) Liang, At-Large Policy Coordinator
13. Successful At-Large Summit at ICANN 50
At a Glance
The ICANN 50th Meeting recorded many significant achievements for the At-Large community as approximately 150 At-Large Structure representatives from around the world convened for the Second At-Large Summit (ATLAS II).
The ATLAS II was an opportunity for ICANN's global end-user community to meet, learn, discuss, mentor and influence policy on the theme of "Global Internet: The User Perspective."
The achievements of the At-Large representatives in London include an ATLAS II Declaration that provides a series of recommendations and observations for ensuring that the User Perspective is placed at the center of ICANN activities.
Main ATLAS II Achievements
The main achievements of the ATLAS II are:
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Second At-Large Summit (ATLAS II) Declaration– This document contains the output of the five Thematic Groups that met in four parallel breakout sessions on Saturday, 21 June and Sunday, 22 June.
- The Future of Multistakeholder Models.
- The Globalization of ICANN.
- Global Internet: The User Perspective.
- ICANN Transparency and Accountability.
- At-Large Community Engagement in ICANN.
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ATLAS II Statement on the NETmundial Multistakeholder Statement –This statement stated the support by the ATLAS II participants of the NETmundial Multistakeholder Statement. The key takeaway of the statement was that the At-Large Community charged the ALAC to remain vigilant towards keeping the promise of NETmundial and to push for stronger commitment to the rights of Internet users.
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The At-Large community encourages the greater ICANN community to learn from the experience of the NETmundial conference. The At-Large community supports the progress of /1Net and welcomes the challenge of moving forward with what NETmundial started.
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Successful RALO General Assemblies:
As part of the ATLAS II, each of the five Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) held its own General Assembly. These assemblies reviewed the work of the last year, discussed strategies for the coming year and discussed policy and process issues of key importance to the RALOs. These meetings will form the basis of the work of the RALOs in the upcoming year.
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Fayre of Opportunities:
A successful Fayre of Opportunities was held on Tuesday, 24 June. This networking event featured two keynote speakers, Wolfgang Kleinwächter, ICANN Board Director, and Nnenna Nwakanma, Africa Regional Coordinator of the World Wide Web Foundation, an At-Large quiz, display tables by each of the five RALOs, and a live performance of a multistakeholder band consisting of musicians from various AC/SOs.
The Declaration contains observations and recommendations that will provide the basis for the post-ATLAS II work of the At-Large community.
Background: Purpose and Preparation
ATLAS II built upon the successful activities of the At-Large community that have transpired since the first At-Large Summit (ATLAS) was held alongside the ICANN Meeting in Mexico in March 2009. That Mexico event was of fundamental importance since it became the foundation for the involvement of many of the existing At-Large Structures (ALSes) in ICANN.
The ATLAS II had three key purposes:
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Strengthen the bottom-up structure of the At-Large community by building capacity and awareness of At-Large policies and process of the 160 At-Large Structures (ALSes).
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Further develop the At-Large Community's capacity for engagement in ICANN by increasing its knowledge and understanding of the key issues confronting ICANN and ICANN's roles and responsibilities.
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Plan for the next stage of the ALAC/At-Large community's development.
The At-Large community organized the ATLAS II in a bottom-up fashion.
There was a central ATLAS II Organizing Committee with nine ATLAS II Working Groups working on specific activities. The main group that oversaw the work of the other groups was the At-Large Summit II Organizing Committee. The co-Chairs were Eduardo Diaz and Olivier Crepin-Leblond. The Organizaing Committee had over 50 preparatory calls to prepare all aspects of the Summit.
More Information
- Additional information on all of the activities and achievements of the ATLAS II are available on the ATLAS II webpage and ATLAS II wiki page.
- Also see the ICANN site Second At-Large Summit, ATLAS II, a Runaway Success.
Staff Contact
Heidi Ullrich, Sr. Director for At-Large
GAC
14. High Level Governmental Meeting held in London
At a Glance
In addition to the traditional GAC sessions at ICANN 50 in London in June, a High Level Governmental Meeting was held on Monday, 23 June.
Recent Developments
The High Level Governmental Meeting was hosted by the United Kingdom government, and chaired by its Minister of Culture, Ed Vaizey, with the GAC Chair as co-chair. The UK government invited relevant ministers from across the world, whether or not they are GAC members. A total of 175 representatives attended from 77 governments (10 of which are not current GAC members), plus 11 Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs). The meeting included briefings by ICANN's leadership and discussions on topics such as the role of the GAC and the transition of U.S. stewardship of the IANA functions.
Next Steps
The outcome of the meeting will shortly be issued by the UK Government as a Chair's Report and serve as input for upcoming Internet governance meetings in other fora. In line with an ATRT 2 recommendation, the next High Level Governmental Meeting is expected to be held within two years.
Background
This was the second time that such a high level meeting was held. The first was hosted by Canada in conjunction with ICANN 45 in Toronto in October 2012.
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
- London GAC Communiqué [PDF, 139 KB]
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Senior Director, GAC Relations
Julia Charvolen, Coordinator, GAC Services
15. GAC Concludes London Meeting
At a Glance
The GAC met in London to follow-up on outstanding issues from the Singapore GAC Communiqué [PDF, 146 KB] and to advance work in new areas. The GAC welcomed responses received from the ICANN Board, while requesting clarifications on specific issues. The GAC also discussed future work, met with other ICANN entities and conducted two sessions dedicated to inform the wider community about GAC work. For full information please see the London GAC Communiqué [PDF, 139 KB].
Recent Developments
The GAC issued advice calling for clarifications regarding new gTLD safeguard measures, some specific strings, IGO and Red Cross/Red Crescent protections and WHOIS matters. Transition of US stewardship of IANA and strengthening of ICANN accountability were considered and approaches for GAC engagement agreed. Outcomes from GAC working groups were discussed as well as implementation planning for ATRT2 recommendations, including proposals from a consultation group to improve early engagement of the GAC in GNSO work. The nomination period opened for upcoming elections of GAC Chair and Vice-Chairs. The GAC also provided a briefing to the community on protection of geographic names in future new gTLD application rounds and convened an open session for the community to inform about the GAC and its working methods. Further details are available in the Communiqué.
Next Steps
GAC members will assess the Board's response to the London advice, continue work in established working groups and prepare for the upcoming meeting in Los Angeles in October, including elections of GAC Chair and Vice-Chairs.
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
- London GAC Communiqué [PDF, 139 KB]
- Singapore GAC Communiq [PDF, 146 KB]
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Senior Director, GAC Relations
Julia Charvolen, Coordinator, GAC Services
RSSAC
16. RSSAC Caucus Formed
At a Glance
During its 10 July 2014 teleconference, the RSSAC formed a Caucus of DNS and root server system experts to carry out the essential work of RSSAC.
Developments
After an open application process, the RSSAC Membership Committee submitted to the RSSAC a list of approved candidates for consideration as members of the Caucus. The RSSAC approved the initial appointment of 49 individuals including the 13 RSSAC members. The RSSAC will soon provide the Caucus guidance for completing two documents for publication: RSSAC 001, "Service Expectations of DNS Root Servers," and RSSAC 002, "Recommendation on Measurements of the Root Server System."
Next Steps
The Caucus has been invited to the RSSAC's meeting at IETF 90 in Toronto, Canada. Future meetings of the Caucus are also planned, including ICANN 51 in Los Angeles, CA.
More Information
Staff Contact
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
17. RSSAC Engages with Community at ICANN 50
At a Glance
The RSSAC convened at ICANN 50 and had a productive week of activities.
Developments
During ICANN 50, the RSSAC held a public information session updating the community on its ongoing restructure effort. The presentation, recordings, and transcripts are available here as a resource. The RSSAC met with the ICANN Board of Directors to discuss the transition of NTIA's stewardship of the IANA functions as well as other matters related to the operation, administration, security, and integrity of the root server system. The RSSAC also made significant progress on its operational procedures and other governance matters during its four working sessions throughout the week.
Next Steps
The RSSAC will continue its schedule of teleconferences in the coming months and will meet at IETF 90 in Toronto, Canada and at ICANN 51 in Los Angeles, CA.
More Information
Staff Contact
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
policy-update-jul14-en.pdf [647 KB]