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ICANN55 – Exploring the “Public Interest” Within ICANN’s Remit
Monday, March 7th: 15:15 – 16:30
Draft Agenda for Input
Background Details
Discussions on the topic of the “public interest within ICANN’s remit” and potential definitions of this term have been ongoing for years. In 2013-2014, the Strategy Panel on Public Responsibility Framework, led by Nii Quaynor, explored this topic. Based on community input at sessions and webinars, the Panel defined the global public interest in relation to the Internet as:
- “ensuring that the Internet becomes, and continues to be, stable, inclusive, and accessible across the globe so that all may enjoy the benefits of a single and open Internet. In addressing its public responsibility, ICANN must build trust in the Internet and its governance ecosystem.”
While some recommended the report, at individual and ICANN meetings, and at ICANN 52 in particular, it is evident there is a need and a desire to revisit this topic.
Given limits on bandwidth for additional projects, and given the intense focus on other ongoing dialogues, a wikispace was established as a resource space for all to populate with background documents that will be useful in guiding this conversation forward.
As set out in the ICANN Operating and Strategic Plans, ICANN will be facilitating a conversation in Financial Year 16 to explore the "public interest" within ICANN's mission and mandate, and this High Interest Session will form an important part of this work.
Draft Running Order
Building on discussions so far, comments on discussion items have been collated below in a draft agenda for mailing list discussion and modifications.
AGENDA
15:15 – 15:
2020 Introduction and Purpose
(5 minutes)Proposed
Presenter: Nora Abusitta
(, SVP Development and Public Responsibility Programs
&(Session Proposer)
- Introduces session, explains purpose, outlines session format as decided upon by Mailing List.
- Also give brief current status of discussions and online resources.
Specific item for mailing list consideration:
Should this session be focused on hearing input / issues to consider or should this be an action-oriented session with a specific desired output?
15:20 – 15:
3030 Previous Discussion on this Topic
–– The Panel
ProposedPresenter: Nii Quaynor,
Chair of the Strategy Panel on the Public Responsibility FrameworkOverview of the tasksChairman of Board of Directors at National Information Technology Agency, Ghana (Chair of the Strategy Panel on the Public Responsibility Framework
, including issues the panel encountered and the interim definition of the term ‘public interest.’Questions from session attendees on this work)
15:30 – 15:
3535 Recent Discussions Recap-
IGF, EURALO, etc.Proposed Presenter: tbc
Recap on IGF Session and key takeaways, ICANN54 EURALO Session, other SO/AC/SG discussionsEURALO “Public Interest” General Assembly Discussion at ICANN54
Presenter: Wolf Ludwig, EuroDIG Secretariat
15:35 - 15:
4040 Recent Discussions
- CCWGProposed Presenter: tbc
Recap on CCWG Discussions on the termRecap- IGF “The ‘Global Public Interest’ in Critical Internet Resources”
Presenter: Marília Maciel, Center for Technology and Society of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (CTS/FGV)
15:45- 16:20 Open Discussion
- Questions and comments from the floor / remote participation
to be guided by Facilitator (tbd)Moderator: Olivier Crepin-Leblond, EURALO Chair
Specific item for mailing list consideration:
- What questions would be useful to generate discussion? Examples from other conversations/sessions:
- How is the term understood/applied in SO/ACs currently? (Internal decisionmaking research has already been carried out and published online and can be presented in introduction)
- Is there appetite for exploring a definition for ICANN?
- If so, what are the expectations on how this should move forward?
- How would this be applied to:
- ICANN’s processes
- SO/AC decision-making
- Should the conversation explore a single definition with specific criteria for various applications as above?
- What expectations and hopes would Panelists and stakeholders have for next steps?
- Format
- Timeline
16:20 – 16:
3030 Concluding Remarks and Next Steps
Presenter TBD.