BRG - Regulation, DNS Abuse and the Next Round - dotBrand Perspectives - ICANN72

The BRG will be hosting a panel discussion at ICANN72 focused on getting to the next application round for New gTLDs. 

Panel participants:

Nigel Hickson, DCMS, UK Gov and UK GAC  Representative

Mike Silber, Group Chief Regulatory Officer at Liquid  Telecom and former ICANN Director

Deborah Atta-Fynn, VP Cybersecurity & Technology  Controls, JP Morgan Chase

Tony Kirsch, Head of Professional Services, GoDaddy Registry 

Moderator: Martin Sutton, BRG

Background

When the Operational Design Phase (ODP) was introduced last year by ICANN org, concerns were raised that this would add delays and complexities to the lengthy policy development process. Despite reassurances that this would help streamline the process, the first ODPs (SSAD and Sub Pro) have resurfaced these concerns as timeframes expand and appear uncontrolled, delaying Board decisions and any progress to deliver the multi-stakeholder work. 

This session will focus on the getting to the next round of new gTLDs to provide fair opportunities for participation and create a level playing field.   The ODP is now a significant component and our panel will explore:

Why does the Board and ICANN org need to avoid the ODP process disincentivizing volunteer efforts?

The time and effort dedicated by volunteer efforts is immense and volunteer burn out is a significant risk. The panel will discuss this issue and consider the impact of the ODP for Subsequent Procedures and the importance of respecting the multi-stakeholder process.

How do we overcome accountability and predictability issues that the ODP has raised?

We will look at ways to enhance the ODP process so the Board and ICANN org provide more certainty and control over this newly introduced process.

Demand versus creating a fair environment to encourage competition.

We will discuss the demand for New gTLDs and whether this is the key driver for future rounds, versus creating an environment that is open and fair to encourage competition and innovation. 

Preparing for the next round of applications - what have we learnt from the last round?

We will reflect on the learnings from a leadership perspective and how complexities were resolved amongst the community. It was challenging but helped create robust rules and procedures to adopt for future rounds. There are some complexities to prepare for the next round but the bulk of this work has already been considered by the community. We will discuss how this work can be leveraged and consider how the community can continue to help ICANN org complete the ODP process.

Dispelling the myths of New gTLDs

We will take the opportunity to see what New gTLDs have already brought to the table and consider success factors often overlooked.

We look  forward to welcoming you to our session at ICANN72.