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ICANN is releasing for public comments a set of documents that present an overview of the tasks of a Generation Panel. These include:

• Guidelines [PDF, 946 KB] and Considerations [PDF, 193 KB] for designing script-specific Label Generation Rules (LGR) for integration into the root zone,
• A summary of the Requirements [PDF, 198 KB] on format and contents for submitting anLGR proposal.

The overview and guidelines are based on the prescription in the "Procedure to Develop and Maintain Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Root Zone With Respect to IDN Labels" [PDF, 772 KB] (the Procedure) and are intended to supplement the Procedure, not to replace it as the authoritative prescription of the process. Community members are invited to provide feedback.

The set of documents released for public review include an introduction to the basic tasks of a Generation Panel. As such they offer orientation and guidance, rather than detailed and explicit instructions. They also provide Guidelines for Developing Script-Specific Label Generation Rules (LGR) for Integration into the Root Zone Label Generation Rules [PDF, 946 KB] (Guidelines), including a set of Considerations for Designing a Label Generation Ruleset for the Root Zone[PDF, 193 KB] (Considerations) that Generation Panels might apply in making and documenting their decisions. Finally, the documents contain a summary of the Requirements for LGRProposals [PDF, 198 KB] (Requirements) on format and contents for submitting an LGRproposal. The overview and guidelines are based on the prescription in the "Procedure to Develop and Maintain Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Root Zone With Respect to IDN Labels" [PDF, 772 KB] (the Procedure); they do not supersede the Procedure as the authoritative definition of the process for developing and maintaining a label generation ruleset for the Root Zone. Instead, they intend to give practical guidance as well as a focused overview of the tasks involved in creating a single-script LGR for integration into the Root Zone LGR.

In the process of taking up their work, the first Generations Panels that were formed have raised a number of issues that demanded further clarification as well as suggested the need for explanation and amplification of some of the provisions of the Procedure. To this end, the overview and guideline documents presented here for public comment intend to provide a succinct summary of the tasks of the Generation Panel together with practical guidelines on how best to accomplish them. They are intended as adjunct to, and as help in reading of the Procedure, which otherwise remains the authoritative description of the process.

The output of the work of a Generation Panel is a set of Label Generation Rules for a given script (or multiple LGR in case a panel works on more than one script). These are to be presented for public review and finally, to the Integration Panel for review and integration into the Root ZoneLGR. In order to facilitate the review, the Integration Panel has released a document describing the expected format and organization of an LGR proposal and Generation Panels are expected to submit LGR proposals that adhere to these Requirements [PDF, 198 KB]. These include, in particular, further details on how to create a formal specification of an LGR using the XML Format for Representing Label Generation Rules.

Finally, the Guidelines [PDF, 946 KB] collect in one place a set of references to various technical documents that Generation Panels might need to, or desire to consult in doing their work.

To support IDN variants in the root zone, the ICANN community, at the direction of the Board, undertook several projects to study and make recommendations on their viability, sustainability and delegation. One of these projects is the implementation of the Procedure [PDF, 772 KB] allowing for the development of Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Root Zone. The LGR for the Root Zone is a mechanism for creating and maintaining rules with respect to IDN labels for the root. This mechanism will be used to determine which Unicode code points are permitted for use in U-Labels in the root zone, what variants (if any) are allocatable and what variants (if any) are automatically blocked.

The first deliverable from the Integration Panel under the Procedure [PDF, 772 KB] is represented by the Maximal Starting Repertoire (MSR), currently subject to public comment process for its Version 2 (MSR-2). The MSR will serve as a starting collection of code points from which Generation Panels may make a selection in constructing the repertoire for their respectiveLGR proposals.  The set of documents presented here are intended to provide guidance to the Generation Panels in this task, as well as giving more concrete specification of how to format the results of their deliberation for successful review and integration by the Integration Panel.

The documents to be reviewed are:

• Guidelines for Developing Script-Specific Label Generation Rules for Integration into theRoot Zone LGR [PDF, 946 KB] (Guidelines)
• Considerations for Designing a Label Generation Ruleset for the Root Zone [PDF, 193 KB] (Considerations)
• Requirements for LGR Proposals form Generation Panels [PDF, 198 KB] (Requirements)

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