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The final draft version to be voted upon by the ALAC will be placed here before the vote is to begin.

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FIRST DRAFT SUBMITTED

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ALAC Statement on the Report: Supporting the Domain Name Industry in Underserved Regions 

The ALAC strongly supports the concept of supporting the domain name industry (DNI) in underserved regions.

As many of those who have comments have pointed out, it is not simply a matter of having more registrars. The ecosystem surrounding them must be considered as well. Simply increasing the DNI without corresponding increases in demand will not help anyone.

As programs evolve, the following principles should be adhered to:

1. Registrant and user rights and expectations must not be lowered in order to increase DNI penetration – we need more suppliers, not suppliers with lower standards;
2. Education at all levels is a key to increasing demand and local suppliers;
3. The processes to become a registrar should be clarified and to the extent possible simplified, and training should be available;
4. The demands placed on registrars should be reasonable based on local cost-of-living and related financial constraints. As a prime example, the insurance required for registrars is a real concern for the underserved regions (amount, convertibility of the local currency). A solution for this issue should be found to foster the establishment of young registrars in those regions.
   
5. Given the poor representation of developing economies in the first new GLTD round. The second round should give preference, if not exclusivity, to applicants from developing economies. In line with the concept behind the failed JAS program, fees and requirements must be aligned with the realities of developing economies, while not sacrificing Internet stability and security.  It is critical that an outreach program must be undertaken to ensure a better understanding of the program, its benefit (economic, cultural, linguistic, etc.) and all the requirements for an application.
6. Technical and legal supports are still needed for the underserved region applicants for a new gTLD. A program for such support should be developed.