Please note that all documents referenced in the agenda have been gathered on a Wiki page for convenience and easier access: https://community.icann.org/x/_ABmCg
This agenda was established according to the GNSO Operating Procedures v3.5, updated on 24 October 2019
For convenience:
- An excerpt of the ICANN Bylaws defining the voting thresholds is provided in Appendix 1 at the end of this agenda.
- An excerpt from the Council Operating Procedures defining the absentee voting procedures is provided in Appendix 2 at the end of this agenda.
GNSO Council meeting held 12:30 PDT (Seattle, WA)
Coordinated Universal Time: 19:30 UTC: https://tinyurl.com/h73u9hxs
12:30 Los Angeles; 15:30 Washington DC; 20:30 London; 21:30 Paris; 22:30 Moscow; (Thursday) 06:30 Melbourne
GNSO Council Meeting Remote Participation: https://72.schedule.icann.org/meetings/iRtcZAfitd6mpyyyW
Councilors should notify the GNSO Secretariat in advance if they will not be able to attend and/or need a dial out call.
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Item 1: Administrative Matters (10 mins)
1.1 - Roll Call
1.2 - Updates to Statements of Interest
1.3 - Review / Amend Agenda
1.4 - Note the status of minutes for the previous Council meetings per the GNSO Operating Procedures:
Minutes of the GNSO Council meeting on 19 August 2021 were posted on 04 September 2021
Minutes of the GNSO Council meeting on 23 September 2021 were posted on 08 October 2021.
Item 2: Opening Remarks / Review of Projects & Action List (10 minutes)
2.1 - Review focus areas and provide updates on specific key themes / topics, to include review of Projects List and Action Item List.
Item 3: Consent Agenda (5 minutes)
- 3.1 - Approval of the GNSO Council liaison to the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Operational Design Phase - Jeff Neuman (SOI)
- 3.2 - Approval of the GNSO liaison to the Governmental Advisory Committee - Jeff Neuman (SOI)
Item 4: COUNCIL VOTE - EPDP Phase 2A Final Report (30 minutes)
On 21 October 2020, the GNSO Council approved the initiation of EPDP Phase 2A, to examine the topics of legal/natural and feasibility of unique contacts. In doing so, the Council required that the GNSO Council Liaison to the EPDP report back to the GNSO Council on the status of deliberations. Accordingly, status updates were regularly provided to the GNSO Council over the course of the EPDP Phase 2A’s deliberations. The EPDP Team published its Initial Report for public comment on 3 June 2021, which included preliminary recommendations as well as questions for community input. The EPDP Team delivered its Phase 2A Final Report to the GNSO Council on 3 September 2021, which was updated on 13 September 2021 with the minority statements incorporated into the Final Report
The GNSO Council received a presentation on the Final Report, which also included a draft motion circulated to the GNSO Council on 13 September 2021 for discussion purposes.
During the 23 September 2021 Council meeting, Kurt Pritz, Council member from the Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG) requested that the Council first examine the request in the RySG’s minority statement that relates to Recommendation 1 of the Phase 2A Final Report which seeks the GNSO Council’s determination of whether the proposal contained in Recommendation 1, the creation of a mandatory data element, is out of scope with the GNSO Council’s instructions to the EPDP phase 2A team.
As an action item from the September Council meeting, the Council leadership considered the scope issue raised and concluded that it concurs with the assessment by the EPDP Phase 2A Chair that Recommendation 1 is in scope and communicated the same to the GNSO Council on 30 September 2021 (see Council leadership’s full response here https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/council/2021-September/025035.html).
Here, the GNSO Council will vote to adopt the EPDP Phase 2A Final Report.
4.1 - Presentation of motion (GNSO Council vice-chair, Pam Little)
4.2 – Council discussion
4.3 – Council vote (voting threshold: supermajority)
Taking this action is within the GNSO’s remit as outlined in ICANN’s Bylaws as the GNSO ‘shall be responsible for developing and recommending to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities of the GNSO as set forth in these Bylaws’ (Art.11.1). Furthermore, this action complies with the requirements set out in Annex A-1: GNSO Expedited Policy Development Process of the ICANN Bylaws.
A "GNSO Supermajority" shall mean: (A) two-thirds (2/3) of the Council members of each House, or (B) three-fourths (3/4) of the Council members of one House and a majority of the Council members of the other House.
Item 5: COUNCIL VOTE - Revised GNSO Councilor Job Description for the Nominating Committee (20 minutes)
The GNSO Council is invited on an annual basis to review the job description and criteria contained in order to better assure that the Nominating Committee selects appointees that match the Council’s expectations. The Council has made incremental revisions to the job description each time that it has been invited to do so.
This cycle, the Council is considering revising the job description to reflect a preference for appointees that are not currently affiliated with any Stakeholder Group or Constituency, recognizing that this may not always be feasible. Some concerns were expressed about the proposed revisions on the Council’s email list to which the Council leadership has responded with some clarifications (see https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/council/2021-September/025013.html).
Here, the GNSO Council will vote to approve the revised job description.
5.1 - Presentation of motion (GNSO Council vice-chair, Pam Little)
5.2 – Council discussion
5.3 – Council vote (voting threshold: simple majority)
Item 6: COUNCIL DISCUSSION - GDS Update on the Framework for the Policy Status Report Framework on the UDRP (20 minutes)
On 21 January 2021, the GNSO Council approved the recommendations from the Phase 1 Final Report of the GNSO Policy Development Process (PDP) on the Review of All Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) in All gTLDs, covering RPMs applicable to gTLDs launched under the 2012 New gTLD Program. The Council has discussed the need to review the RPMs charter in advance of launching Phase 2 of the PDP, which is focused on the UDRP.
Council leadership had considered the best path forward to initiating this work and shared their thoughts for advancing this effort on 13 July 2021, which considers a Policy Status Report (PSR) as a possible next step. The Council discussed the approach during its July meeting and agreed that ICANN org should consider how to conduct the PSR and return to the Council to present their proposed framework for the PSR, in advance of initiating the actual work. ICANN org provided a presentation on the proposed framework for the PSR during the Council’s September meeting. Some concerns were expressed during the meeting and on the email list after the meeting.
ICANN Org has taken into account the input and concerns received and will seek to respond to them, in advance of initiating the PSR.
Here, the Council will receive a follow-up presentation, to help clarify the scope and purpose of the PSR as well as to address certain concerns raised.
6.1 – Introduction of topic (Council leadership)
6.2 – Presentation (Antonietta Mangiacotti - ICANN org) Slide deck
6.3 – Council discussion
6.4 – Next steps
Item 7: ANY OTHER BUSINESS (25 minutes)
7.1 - Seek vice-chair for Standing Committee on ICANN Budget & Operating Plan, to prepare for a chair succession plan for the FY24 cycle.
7.2 - Acknowledgment of the Project Plan for the EPDP on Internationalized Domain Names.
7.3 - Potential next steps for the Board response to the Council's letter regarding its "Request for Continued Deferral of IDN Implementation Guidelines v4.0"
7.4 - Suggestion to assign a Council liaison to Accuracy Scoping Team
7.5 - Farewell and thanks to outgoing Councilors: Carlton Samuels, Osvaldo Novoa, Pam Little, Tatiana Tropina, Tom Dale as well as to outgoing ALAC Liaison to the GNSO: Cheryl Langdon-Orr
7.6 - Open microphone
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Appendix 1: GNSO Council Voting Thresholds (ICANN Bylaws, Article 11, Section 11.3(i))
See https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#article11.
Appendix 2: GNSO Council Absentee Voting Procedures (GNSO Operating Procedures, Section 4.4)
See https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/file/field-file-attach/op-procedures-30jan18-en.pdf
References for Coordinated Universal Time of 19:30 UTC
Local time between November and March Winter in the NORTHERN hemisphere
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California, USA (PDT) UTC-7 12:30
San José, Costa Rica (CST) UTC-6 13:30
New York/Washington DC, USA (EDT) UTC-4 15:30
Buenos Aires, Argentina (ART) UTC-3 16:30
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (BRST) UTC-3 16:30
London, United Kingdom (GMT) UTC+1 20:30
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (WAT) UTC+1 20:30
Paris, France (CEST) UTC+2 21:30
Moscow, Russia (MST) UTC+3 22:30
Singapore (SGT)(+1day) UTC+8 03:30
Melbourne, Australia (AEDT)(+1day) UTC+11 06:30
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DST starts/ends on Sunday 31 October 2021, 2:00 or 3:00 local time (with exceptions) for EU countries and on Sunday 7 November 2021 for the US.
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For other places see http://www.timeanddate.com and https://tinyurl.com/jw684set
