Blog from January, 2016
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 01-05 February 2016.
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 01 February 2016
15:30 UTC: At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/UQh1Aw
Tuesday 02 February 2016
06:00 UTC: CCWG – Accountability Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
16:00 UTC: GNSO Next-Gen RDS PDP Working Group https://community.icann.org/x/rjJ-Ag
Wednesday 03 February 2016
15:00 UTC: At-Large Capacity Building Working Group https://community.icann.org/x/gQCAAw
18:30 UTC: At-Large AFRALO monthly call https://community.icann.org/x/8ZZlAw
Thursday 04 February 2016
16:00 UTC: CWG IANA Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
Friday 05 February 2016
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls or ALAC :staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG desiree.cabrera@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine, Terri Agnew and Yeşim Nazlar
ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2016-01-27-en
27 January 2016
On 27 January 2016, Power Auctions LLC, ICANN's authorized auction service provider, conducted a New gTLD Program Auction to resolve string contention for one new generic top-level domain (gTLD) contention set: .SHOP. This set was previously identified as an indirect contention set consisting of both the .SHOP and .SHOPPING strings. The applicants for .SHOPPING have resolved their contention amongst themselves, eliminating the linkage between .SHOP and .SHOPPING. The remaining contention set is a direct contention set for the string .SHOP. The applicants were unable to resolve contention among themselves; thus their contention set proceeded to auction, which is the method of last resort to resolve string contention as prescribed in Module 4 of the New gTLD Program Applicant Guidebook. Subject to payment of the winning price and meeting all other criteria for eligibility, the winner will enter ICANN's contracting process to sign a Registry Agreement to operate the gTLD.
Seven applicants completed all necessary prerequisites and participated in the auction for .SHOP. GMO Registry, Inc., applicant for .SHOP, prevailed with a winning price of $41,501,000.
All proceeds from the Auction are being segregated and withheld from use until ICANN's Board of Directors define a plan for an appropriate use of the funds through consultation with the community.
More Information
- Contention Set Status: 212 of 233 contention sets are now resolved. The majority have self-resolved, but 15 sets resolved via Auction (method of last resort).
- Auction Results: Auction reports on this page of the New gTLD Microsite provide additional information on each Auction outcome.
- Auction Proceeds and Costs: A detailed summary of the proceeds and costs of each Auction through January 2016. This information will be updated within 7 days of each Auction.
- Auction Schedule [PDF, 264 KB]: Updated as of 27 January 2016.
- General New gTLD Program Auctions information.
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world. ICANN and its community help keep the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It also promotes competition and develops policy for the top-level of the Internet's naming system and facilitates the use of other unique Internet identifiers. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-27-en
27 January 2016
In Brief
The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council seeks volunteers to serve on a PDP Working Group (WG) to develop recommendations for New generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) Subsequent Procedures. The GNSO Council approved the WG's charter [PDF, 603 KB] on 21 January 2016, tasking this PDP to determine whether changes or adjustments to the existing policy recommendations on the Introduction of New Generic Top-Level Domains are needed.
What This Team Will Do
The New gTLD Subsequent Procedures PDP Working Group (WG) is tasked with calling upon the community's collective experiences from the 2012 New gTLD Program round to determine what, if any, changes may need to be made to the existing Introduction of New Generic Top-Level Domains policy recommendations from 8 August 2007. As the original policy recommendations as adopted by the GNSO Council and ICANN Board have "been designed to produce a systemized and ongoing mechanisms for applicants to propose new top-level domains", those policy recommendations remain in place for subsequent rounds of the New gTLD Program unless the GNSO Council would decide to modify those policy recommendations via this PDP. The work of this PDP WG follows the efforts of the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Discussion Group (DG), which identified a set of issues/subjects for a future PDP WG to consider in their deliberations and recommend whether to:
- Clarify, amend or override existing policy principles, recommendations, and implementation guidance;
- Develop new policy recommendations;
- Supplement or develop new implementation guidance.
As part of the PDP WG deliberations, the PDP WG should consider at a minimum, the subjects detailed in the Final Issue Report. These subjects have been organized in groupings suggested by the DG that may facilitate deliberations on related subjects. However, additional work methods, such as those described in the Final Issue Report, or other methods identified by the PDP WG may be more appropriate to undertake the work.
In addition to the work of the PDP WG, a number of new gTLD review efforts are underway which may have an impact on the work of this PDP WG. Therefore, this PDP WG should not be limited to the issues identified by the DG and should take into account the findings from the parallel efforts external to the PDP WG.
How This Team Will Work
ICANN WGs use transparent, open processes. The meetings of this PDP WG will be recorded, and the recordings will be made available to the public. The mailing list for the PDP WG will be archived publicly. The group will collaborate using a public workspace for draft materials and all final work products and milestones will be documented on the WG's wiki. The PDP WG is expected to follow the GNSO Working Group Guidelines [PDF, 349 KB] as well as the GNSO PDP Manual [PDF, 260 KB].
How to Participate
There are two ways to volunteer:
- Individual Members – anyone interested can volunteer to join the PDP WG as a WG member, regardless of whether they are members of the ICANN community. Members are expected to actively contribute to mailing list conversations as well as meetings – it is anticipated that the PDP WG will at a minimum meet on a weekly basis via teleconference. Members are expected to provide essential input to the process. Members will be required to provide a Statement of Interests (SOI).
- Mailing list observers – for those who are merely interested in monitoring the WG's conversations, there is the possibility to sign up as a mailing list "observer" which offers read-only access to the mailing list. Mailing list observers will not be permitted to post, will not receive invitations to the various meetings or calls of the WG and will not have to complete a Statement of Interest. At any point in time, a mailing list observer can join the WG as a member simply by informing the GNSO Secretariat.
In addition, there will be opportunities to provide input through public consultations and public comment processes that the PDP WG is expected to organize.
How to Join
If you are interested in joining the WG as an individual participant or mailing list observer, please fill in the sign up form or send the PDF document [PDF, 76 KB] filled in to the GNSO Secretariat.
All members and observers will be listed on the PDP WG's wiki page.
Next Steps
In its motion, the GNSO Council directed that this call for volunteers be circulated as widely as possible in order to ensure broad representation and participation in the WG. This call will remain open until the PDP WG convenes for the first time. At this juncture, it is anticipated that the PDP WG may convene online in late February 2016. Following that, regular online meetings will be scheduled in accordance with the PDP WG's work plan, which it is expected to develop as one of its first tasks.
Further Information and Preparation
For those interested in volunteering for this effort, you are strongly encouraged to review the following materials prior to the first meeting of the PDP WG.
- The Final Issue Report [PDF, 1.38 MB]
- The approved charter [PDF, 196 KB]
- Materials available at the PDP WG's wiki, such as the 2007 Final Report and other relevant information.
Background
In 2005, the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) began a Policy Development Process (PDP) to consider the introduction of new gTLDs. The two-year PDP process resulted in a set of 19 GNSO policy recommendations for implementing new gTLDs. In order to implement the policy recommendations of the GNSO, a number of draft Applicant Guidebooks (AGBs) were developed by ICANN staff in consultation with the community.In June 2011, ICANN's Board of Directors approved the final AGB and authorized the launch of the New gTLD Program.
The New gTLD Program application window opened on 12 January 2012 and a total of 1930 complete applications were received. The first set of Initial Evaluation results were released on 22 March 2013, followed by the first set of new gTLD delegations on 21 October 2013.
All applications have now completed the evaluation process and as of mid January 2016, there are nearly 900 gTLDs delegated and approximately 450 applications still proceeding through the remaining steps of the program. Although the 2012 round is ongoing, efforts to examine the round have already begun, which included the creation of the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Discussion Group (DG). The DG was created by the GNSO Council to discuss the experiences gained from the 2012 round of the New gTLD Program and to identify subjects that might lead to changes or adjustments for subsequent application procedures. The DG prepared its final deliverables, which included a set of subjects that it anticipated would be analyzed in detail in the context of an Issue Report. On 24 June 2015 the GNSO Council passed a resolution requesting the drafting of a Preliminary Issue Report on New gTLD Subsequent Procedures.
In accordance with the PDP Rules, the Preliminary Issue Report was published for public comment on 31 August 2015. Following review of the public comments received, the Staff Manager updated the Issue Report accordingly and submitted the Final Issue Report to the GNSO Council for its consideration. The GNSO Council officially initiated the PDP on New gTLD Subsequent Procedures on 17 December 2015, followed by adoption of the PDP WG's charter on 21 January 2016.
ICANN Weekly Newsletter
News from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
http://www.icann.org/Week ending 22 January 2016
Announcements This Week
Fellowship and NextGen@ICANN Application Rounds Open for ICANN56
22 January 2016
Extended Deadline: Request for Proposal for the Independent Review of the At-Large Community
21 January 2016
DISCUSSION: Reviewing New gTLD Program Safeguards Against DNS Abuse
20 January 2016
Upcoming Events
5-10 March 2016: 55th International Public ICANN Meeting – Marrakech
About ICANN
Our bylaws are very important to us. They capture our mission of security, stability and accessibility, and compel the organization to be open and transparent. Learn more at www.ICANN.org.
ICANN FY16 Operating Plan and Budget
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-22-en
22 January 2016
lCANN launches the application rounds for both the NextGen@ICANN and Fellowship Programs to participate in ICANN56 in Panama City, Panama in June 2016. This round remains open until 19 February 2016 and successful candidates will be announced on the ICANN website, 25 March 2016.
An important distinction regarding this round of the Fellowship Program is that only those who have previously participated in at least one ICANN Fellowship can apply. This is due to the new ICANN Meeting Strategy / Meeting B that is specifically focused on policy making and ongoing work within ICANN Communities, therefore only those Alumni of the Program who are currently actively engaged in one of the ICANN Multistakeholder Model Communities are eligible to participate.
The Fellowship Program
The ICANN Fellowship program seeks participants from developing countries of the world in order to help create a broader base of knowledgeable constituents to engage in the Multistakeholder process and become the new voice of experience in their regions and beyond. Since its creation in 2007, the Fellowship Program has built a strong group of individuals who are actively participating in all of the ICANN communities as well as various Internet Governance entities within the Internet Ecosystem. Their engagement ranges from writing articles and blogs, providing online or in-person public comment in regard to bottom up policy building, engaging in Internet conferences and panel discussions, lifting a pen in working groups, mentoring newcomers, assisting our regional leaders and becoming leaders themselves.
Find out more about applying to the Fellowship »
The NextGen@ICANN Program
The NextGen@ICANN program remains the same for Meeting A, B and C: it is an education and awareness based experience, designed for a smaller, younger, and more region-specific group of participants. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30, live in the region of the meeting, and be engaged in some level of higher education, with focus on Internet related subject matter. Each selected member will deliver a 5-10 minute presentation on a topic relevant to the community. Recent presentation topics include Internet governance, DNS, and the future of the Internet.
Find out more about applying to the NextGen@ICANN Program »
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 25 January – 29 January 2016.
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 25 January 2016
18:00 UTC ALAC Subcommittee on Outreach and Engagement https://community.icann.org/x/ugV1Aw
23:00 UTC LACRALO Monthly Call https://community.icann.org/x/BJBlAw
Tuesday 26 January 2016
04:00 UTC ALAC Monthly Call https://community.icann.org/x/SAF1Aw
16:00 UTC GNSO Next-Gen RDS PDP WG Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/rjJ-Ag
17:00 UTC At-Large AFRALO Marrakech Activities https://community.icann.org/x/5QV1Aw
19:00 UTC CCWG ACCT Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/5wJ1Aw
Wednesday 27 January 2016
20:00 UTC ALAC Leadership Team (ALT) Monthly Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/0QR1Aw
Thursday 28 January 2016
19:00 UTC CCWG ACCT Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/6QJ1Aw
Friday 29 January 2016
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls or ALAC :staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine, Terri Agnew and Yeşim Nazlar
ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-21-en
Extended Deadline: Due 07:59 UTC, 28 January 2016
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") is seeking a provider to conduct an independent review of the At-Large Community ("At-Large"), as mandated by ICANN's Bylaws. The At-Large serves an important function – it represents the community of individual Internet users who participate in the policy development work of ICANN.
As part of ICANN's ongoing commitment to its evolution and improvement, Article IV – Section 4 of ICANN's Bylaws contains provisions for "periodic review of the performance and operation of each Supporting Organization, each Supporting Organization Council, each Advisory Committee (other than the Governmental Advisory Committee), and the Nominating Committee."
These periodic reviews present ICANN structures with opportunities for continuous improvement through consistent application of compliance review principles to objectively measure performance relative to specific and quantifiable criteria developed by ICANN based on the unique nature of its structures. The resulting implementation of improvements and the systematic means of measuring performance and validating effectiveness of implementation are of utmost importance to the ongoing legitimacy of ICANN.
The objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify an independent examiner to assess effectiveness of: (1) improvements resulting from recommendations from the previous Review, (2) components of the At-Large Community – ALAC, Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) and At-Large Structures (ALSes) in accordance with the ICANN-provided objective and quantifiable criteria. The Review is scheduled to take place from April 2016 through March 2017.
For a complete timeline, additional information and instructions for submitting responses please see https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/rfp-atlarge-review-21jan16-en.zip [ZIP, 972 KB].
Proposals should be submitted to AtLargeReview-rfp@icann.org by 07:59 UTC on 28 January 2016.
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-20-en
ICANN is currently engaged in data collection on DNS abuse and mitigation efforts implemented as part of the New gTLD Program. Members of the community and general public are invited to join ICANN on 28 January 2016 in an open discussion on the topic. This work will help inform the efforts of the review team examining the effects of the Program on Competition, Consumer Choice, and Consumer Trust, which will assess the safeguards in the Program as part of its work.
The goals of the discussion are to help formulate a definition of DNS abuse, brainstorm methods for measuring abuse, and gather qualitative, experiential input on whether safeguards to mitigate DNS abuse in new gTLDs have been effective. The discussion will be structured around 4 central topics, which participants are encouraged to consider prior to joining:
Topic 1: Which activities do you consider to be DNS abuse? If you could put forth a globally accepted definition of DNS abuse, what would it be? This definition should be broad enough to cover various malicious uses of the DNS.
Topic 2: What are the most effective methods to measure the prevalence of abusive activities in the DNS?
Topic 3: As part of the New gTLD Program, ICANN introduced safeguards [PDF, 128 KB] to mitigate potential DNS abuse in new gTLDs (listed below). How can we measure the effectiveness of these safeguards?
- Vetting registry operators
- Requirement for DNSSEC deployment
- Requirement for Thick WHOIS records
- Prohibition of "wild carding"
- Removal of orphan glue records
- Centralization of Zone file access
- Abuse contact and documented anti-abuse policy requirements for registries and registrars
- Availability of expedited registry security request process
- High-security zone verification
Topic 4: What has been your experience, personally or on behalf of an organization, with these safeguards? Please tell us:
- Which were and/or were not effective? How so and why do you believe they were or were not effective?
- Are there safeguards that should have been included but were not?
Any remaining time will be open for questions and related discussion.
Discussion Details & How to Attend
ICANN will hold two discussions to enable participation in all regions. Use the time zone converter to determine local times.
Date: 28 January 2016
- Discussion 1: 02:00 - 03:30 UTC
- Discussion 2: 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
Join Online: https://icann.adobeconnect.com/gdd
Join the Teleconference: Download numbers now [PDF, 89 KB]. Passcode: 144 144 2688
These discussions will be conducted in English. Recordings will be published at: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/reviews/dns-abuse.
Register to Attend or Participate via Questionnaire
Want ICANN to remind you about the event? Register to attend the discussion and we'll send you an email with participation information. Unable to attend, but want to contribute? Give us the OK to send you a questionnaire so you can tell us about your experiences. Visit: http://survey.clicktools.com/app/survey/go.jsp?iv=25apb9wqx72s8
Further Information
ICANN's New gTLD Program has enabled hundreds of new top-level domains to enter into the Internet's root zone since the first delegation occurred in October 2013. Comprehensive reviews of the program have begun and will cover a variety of topics including competition, consumer trust and choice (CCT), security and stability, rights protection and other areas. Along with commissioning third-party analyses, ICANN is capturing stakeholder experiences regarding operation of the New gTLD Program and its effects on the domain name industry. Lessons learned as a result of these efforts will help shape future rounds of the program.
Suggested Reading
- "Mitigating Malicious Conduct," ICANN, New gTLD Program Explanatory Memorandum, https://archive.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/mitigating-malicious-conduct-04oct09-en.pdf [PDF, 128 KB], (3 October 2009).
- New gTLD Program Review page: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/reviews
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-12-en
ICANN Quarterly Stakeholder Report - Register for the FY16 Q2 Call on 28 January 1500 UTC
ICANN has announced its FY16 Q2 Stakeholder Call, which will take place on 28 January at 1500 UTC. The call will cover how ICANN has progressed against its strategic and operating plans for the Quarter ending 31 December 2015.
Please click here to register for the call and to receive joining instructions. If you are unable to access the form, please email us to register with your full name and an email address we can send joining instructions to.
The call is open for all to attend, including press, and there will be ample time for Questions & Answers (Q&A). A recording of the call will also be available online on the ICANN website.
These calls were set up to enhance ICANN's accountability and transparency efforts, by making it easy to follow ICANN's progress toward fulfilling its mission of keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable.
More information
Please visit the Reporting page on the ICANN website from 24 hours before the call to pre-read the presentation. You can also find other resources and background information on this page, as well as archived transcripts and recordings of all previous Quarterly Stakeholder Calls.
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-12-10-en
Nomination Period Opens For ICANN Multistakeholder Ethos Award | Award Targeted for ICANN 56 | Nominations Close 12 March 2016
ICANN is pleased to announce the opening of the nomination period for ICANN's Multistakeholder Ethos Award. This award program, launched in June 2014 in London, seeks to recognize long-standing community members who have served in leadership roles in multiple ICANN working groups or committees, and demonstrated collaboration with different Supporting Organizationsand/or Advisory Committees.
The Multistakeholder Ethos Award will recognize ICANN participants who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions, acknowledging the importance of ICANN's multistakeholder model of Internet governance, and contributed in a substantive way to the higher interests of ICANN's organization and its community.
The nomination period for community nominees opens today, 10 December 2015 and closes on12 March 2016.
Community members interested in submitting a nomination are invited to send an email toethosaward2016@icann.org including:
- Name of nominee.
- Community of nominee.
- Reasons for nomination.
Please note that the reasons outlining the candidate's merit for the nomination may be as brief or as long as required.
Candidates for the award will demonstrate at least five years of participation in the ICANNCommunity.
A panel of community members is being gathered to help review all community nominations and determine the best candidate(s) for the award(s). The decisions of the panel will be made based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated multistakeholder volunteer service via working groups or committees.
- Demonstrated spirit of collaboration through engagement with other community members with the aim of consensus building.
- Demonstrated facilitator of dialogue and open discussion in a fair, cordial and collegial manner.
- Demonstrated additional devotional factors exhibited by time spent supporting ICANN's multistakeholder model and its overall effectiveness.
Please submit your nominations via email to ethosaward2016@icann.org.
Award recipient(s) will be announced in June 2016 at ICANN56 Panama City.
For more insights on the award program, please consult the ICANN Community Wiki.
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 11 January – 15 January 2016.
Update 1:
Wednesday added: 14:00 UTC: At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability
Thursday added: 20:00 UTC: ALAC Leadership (ALT) Mid-Monthly Meeting
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 11 January 2016
20:00 UTC: At-Large NARALO Monthly Teleconference https://community.icann.org/x/EpBlAw
21:00 UTC: (GNSO) Cross-Community Working Group on Use of Country/Territory Names as TLDs https://community.icann.org/x/X7XhAg
Tuesday 12 January 2016
06:00 UTC: CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
16:00 UTC: CWG IANA Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
Wednesday 13 January 2016
14:00 UTC: At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/K5llAw
Thursday 14 January 2016
06:00 UTC CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
20:00 UTC: ALAC Leadership (ALT) Mid-Monthly Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/iZhlAw
Friday 15 January 2016
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls or ALAC :staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine, Terri Agnew and Yeşim Nazlar
ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
ICANN Weekly Newsletter
News from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
http://www.icann.org/Week ending 8 January 2016
Announcements This Week
WEBINAR: WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System Phase 2 Report
6 January 2016
Request for Proposal for the Independent Review of the At-Large Community
5 January 2016
Upcoming Events
5-10 March 2016: 55th International Public ICANN Meeting – Marrakech
About ICANN
Our bylaws are very important to us. They capture our mission of security, stability and accessibility, and compel the organization to be open and transparent. Learn more at www.ICANN.org.
ICANN FY16 Operating Plan and Budget
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 11 January – 15 January 2016.
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 11 January 2016
20:00 UTC: At-Large NARALO Monthly Teleconference https://community.icann.org/x/EpBlAw
21:00 UTC: (GNSO) Cross-Community Working Group on Use of Country/Territory Names as TLDs https://community.icann.org/x/X7XhAg
Tuesday 12 January 2016
06:00 UTC: CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
16:00 UTC: CWG IANA Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
Wednesday 13 January 2016
None
Thursday 14 January 2016
06:00 UTC CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
Friday 15 January 2016
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls or ALAC :staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine, Terri Agnew and Yeşim Nazlar
ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-05-en
Request for Proposal for the Independent Review of the At-Large Community
5 January 2016
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") is seeking a provider to conduct an independent review of the At-Large Community ("At-Large"), as mandated by ICANN's Bylaws. The At-Large serves an important function – it represents the community of individual Internet users who participate in the policy development work of ICANN.
As part of ICANN's ongoing commitment to its evolution and improvement, Article IV – Section 4 of ICANN's Bylaws contains provisions for "periodic review of the performance and operation of each Supporting Organization, each Supporting Organization Council, each Advisory Committee (other than the Governmental Advisory Committee), and the Nominating Committee."
These periodic reviews present ICANN structures with opportunities for continuous improvement through consistent application of compliance review principles to objectively measure performance relative to specific and quantifiable criteria developed by ICANN based on the unique nature of its structures. The resulting implementation of improvements and the systematic means of measuring performance and validating effectiveness of implementation are of utmost importance to the ongoing legitimacy of ICANN.
The objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify an independent examiner to assess effectiveness of: (1) improvements resulting from recommendations from the previous Review, (2) components of the At-Large Community – ALAC, Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) and At-Large Structures (ALSes) in accordance with the ICANN-provided objective and quantifiable criteria. The Review is scheduled to take place from April 2016 through March 2017.
For a complete timeline, additional information and instructions for submitting responses please see here [ZIP, 973 KB].
Proposals should be submitted to AtLargeReview-rfp@icann.org by 23:59 UTC on 22 January 2016.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-01-04-en
Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Group to Establish a Policy Framework for a Next-Generation gTLD Registration Directory Service to Replace WHOIS (Next-Gen RDS)
4 January 2016
In Brief
The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council seeks volunteers to serve on a PDP Working Group to establish a policy framework for a next-generation gTLD Registration Directory Service (RDS) to replace WHOIS (Next-Gen RDS). The GNSO Council approved the WG's charter on 19 November 2015, tasking this PDP to address concerns with WHOIS by creating a new policy framework capable of balancing diverse interests to meet today's needs for gTLD registration data.
What This Team Will Do
The PDP WG will use a 3-phase process defined in the approved charter [PDF, 628 KB] to (1) establish gTLD registration data requirements to determine if and why a next-generation RDS is needed, (2) design policies that detail functions that must be provided by a next-generation RDS to support those requirements, and (3) provide guidance for how a next-generation RDS should implement those policies, coexisting with and eventually replacing WHOIS.
This PDP WG will provide the GNSO Council with policy recommendations regarding the issues identified in the Final Issue Report [PDF, 1.2 MB] and as defined in the charter approved by the GNSO Council [PDF, 628 KB]. Specifically, this PDP WG is tasked with analyzing the purpose of collecting, maintaining and providing access to gTLD registration data and considering safeguards for protecting that data, determining if and why a next-generation RDS is needed to replace WHOIS, and creating policies and coexistence and implementation guidance to meet those needs.
During the first phase of this PDP, the PDP WG will, at a minimum, attempt to reach consensus recommendations regarding the questions detailed in the PDP WG's charter. The PDP WG's output will then be submitted to the GNSO Council for approval of its recommendations regarding IF and WHY a next-generation RDS is needed to replace WHOIS before moving to the next phase. If the WG concludes a new policy framework is needed, this output should include requirements to be addressed by that new framework and any next-generation RDS. However, if the WG concludes the existing WHOIS system can adequately address requirements, the WG's output should confirm this and identify any necessary changes to the WHOIS policy framework.
After Phase 1, if the GNSO Council confirms that a new policy framework and next-generation RDS are required, the PDP WG will then proceed to Phases 2 and 3, recommending a new consensus policy framework to satisfy requirements for a next-generation RDS established in Phase 1, along with any necessary coexistence and implementation guidance. Further detail regarding this 3-phase process and questions to be considered can be found in the PDP WG's charter.
How This Team Will Work
ICANN WGs use transparent, open processes. The meetings of this PDP WG will be recorded, and the recordings will be available to the public. The mailing list for the PDP WG will be archived publicly. The group will collaborate using a public workspace for draft materials and all final work products and milestones will be documented on the WG's wiki. The PDP WG is expected to follow the GNSO Working Group Guidelines [PDF, 350 KB] as well as the GNSO PDP Manual.
How to participate
There are two ways to volunteer:
- Individual Members – anyone interested can volunteer to join the PDP WG as a WG member, regardless of whether they are members of the ICANN community. Members are expected to actively contribute to mailing list conversations as well as meetings – it is anticipated that the PDP WG will at a minimum meet on a weekly basis via teleconference. Members are expected to provide essential input to the process. Members will be required to provide a Statement of Interest (SOI).
- Mailing list observers – for those who are merely interested in monitoring the WG's conversations, there is the possibility to sign up as a mailing list "observer" which offers read-only access to the mailing list. Mailing list observers will not be permitted to post, will not receive invitations to the various meetings or calls of the WG and will not have to complete a Statement of Interest. At any point in time, a mailing list observer can join the WG as a member simply by informing the GNSO Secretariat.
In addition, there will be opportunities to provide input through public consultations and public comment processes that the PDP WG is expected to organize.
How to Join
If you are interested in joining the WG as an individual participant or mailing list observer, please fill in the sign up form or send the Word document [DOCX, 72 KB] filled in to the GNSO Secretariat
All members and observers will be listed on the PDP WG's wiki page.
Next steps
In its motion, the GNSO Council directed that this call for volunteers be circulated as widely as possible in order to ensure broad representation and participation in the WG. This call will remain open until the WG convenes for the first time. At this juncture, it is anticipated that the PDP WG may convene online in late January 2015. Following that, regular online meetings will be scheduled in accordance with the PDP WG's work plan, which it is expected to develop as one of its first tasks.
Further information and preparation
For those interested in volunteering for this effort, you are strongly encouraged to review the following materials prior to the first meeting of the PDP WG:
- The Final Issue Report [PDF, 1.2 MB]
- The approved charter [PDF, 628 KB]
- Materials available at the PDP WG's wiki such as the EWG Final Report and other relevant information.
Background
Created in the 1980s, WHOIS began as a service to identify and contact entities responsible for the operation of a network resource on the Internet. Over the years, ICANN's requirements for gTLD domain name registration data collection, access and accuracy have undergone some important changes. Yet, after nearly 15 years of task forces, review teams, and studies, comprehensive WHOIS policy reform remains the source of long-running discussion and debate.
In 2012, the ICANN Board launched the Expert Working Group on gTLD Registration Directory Services (EWG) to help redefine the purpose of gTLD registration data and consider how to safeguard the data, and to propose a model for gTLD registration directory services (RDS) to address accuracy, privacy, and access issues.
Upon publication of the EWG's Final Report in June, 2014, an informal group of GNSO Councilors and ICANN Board Members collaborated to propose a Process Framework for structuring a GNSO PDP to successfully address these challenging issues. This Process Framework was adopted by the Board in 2015, along with a reaffirmation of its 2012 request for a PDP to be convened to define the purpose of collecting, maintaining and providing access to gTLD registration data. The Board also asked that the PDP consider safeguards for protecting data, using the recommendations in the EWG's Final Report as an input to, and, if appropriate, as the foundation for a new gTLD policy.
In preparation for this PDP, a new Preliminary Issue Report [PDF, 1.4 MB] was published for public comment on 13 July 2015. A Final Issue Report [PDF, 1.2 MB] was subsequently published on 7 October 2015, including links to all public comments received, along with a draft charter for the PDP WG. This draft charter was approved by the GNSO Council on 19 November 2015, enabling the formation of a GNSO working group of community volunteers to progress this PDP.
More information can be found on the GNSO PDP on Next-Generation gTLD Registration Directory Service (RDS) page and the WG's wiki, including the WG's charter, inputs already provided by all SG/Cs during the public comment period, and an extensive library of foundational materials to inform the WG's deliberations. In addition, the WG will reach out to all SG/Cs for feedback on any items that they believe should be considered that may not have been specifically called out in the approved charter.
As this will be a complex multi-phase PDP, all those interested in helping to shape the policy framework for a next-generation gTLD RDS are encouraged to volunteer for this WG. Only with the help of the entire community can this WG achieve its goal of formally defining an appropriate purpose of gTLD registration data and establishing a new policy framework to enable permissible access to that data with improved privacy and accuracy.
