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The work given to this community working group has presented enormous challenges to its membership, most of whom care deeply about reducing obstacles for proposed TLD applications by or supporting communities in distressed developing in developing economic environments.

The Working Group has determined, at this time, that best possible process to provide support for such applications is to be done through a confidential process that is parallel to, and not a replacement of, the ICANN Applicant Guidebook. Thus, even after the Guidebook is formally approved, this WG can continue its work to refine those components of its mandate which remain unresolved.The following is a proposed framework for moving discussions forward within the JAS group, by defining issues and identifying matters of substance yet to be resolved (which will be marked in red for clarity).

Given the eventual target audience of this document and our desire to have it presented and read unedited, the authors have attempted to adopt a simple format while maintaining accuracy and consistency with previous consensus.

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1. Support by and/or for distinct cultural, linguistic and ethnic communities
2. Service in an under-served language, the presence of which on the Internet has been limited (for both 1. and 2. the social benefit of the Application is obvious but this is not the case for 3., 4. and 5. Therefore applications falling under 3., 4. and 5. must also elaborate on their social benefit to the specific demographics with which they relate)
3. Operation in an emerging market or nation
5. Operation in an emerging market or nation in a manner that provides genuine local social benefit
6. Sponsored by non-profit, civil society and non-governmental organizations in a manner consistent with the organizations' social service mission(s)
7. Operated by local entrepreneur, providing demonstrable benefit in those Operated by local entrepreneur, in those geographic areas where market constraints make normal business operations more difficult

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The “.cat” Catalonian TLD is seen by many linguistic, ethnic and cultural communities as a success story that has helped to preserve and indeed grow the language and culture. Many such groups -- especially those with geographically dispersed diasporas -- see a TLD as unifying icon that will facilitate Internet use while encouraging community growth. We would note especially, linguistic minorities protected by treaties such as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.The WG agreed that the applications by such communities, should they meet the requirements of need, should be eligible for relief/support.

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1. Least developed countries: category 199;
2. Landlocked Developing Countries: category 432; or
3. Small Island Developing States: category 722.
4. Indigenous Peoples (according to definitions by the ILO and others) Wiki Markup\[ possibly \-\- per EBW and pending refinement \-\- a designation that would be inclusive of indigenous groups in developed economies as well as within non-national entities (ie, Palestine) , as described in Article 1 of Convention No. 169 of the International Labor Organization and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

3.1.5 Operated by local entrepreneur, in those geographic areas where market constraints make normal business operations more difficult

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