Background
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has approved the procedure by which At-Large and ALAC
can submit public comments on and file objections to new gTLD applications as proposed by the At-
Large new gTLD Working Group (ANgWG; https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/New+GTLDs )
This procedure forms the basis of the work of the At-Large new gTLD Review Group (gTLD RG).
The gTLD RG needs to be in place and ready to work by the date when applications are revealed and
the comment period is set. Therefore we are asking for the RALO's and ALAC to make its membership
recommendations by 23 April, so the team can be in place and up to speed by 1 May (being the
commencement date of the 60 day Application Comment Period and the 7 month Objection Period of the First Round).
gTLD RG Objectives
The gTLD RG is tasked with:
- receiving the comments from At-Large either directly via email or indirectly via RALO conference calls;
- creating/updating the new gTLD wiki comment pages;
- giving status updates of which new gTLD received comments each week; and
- informing RALOs of deadlines for comments during the ACP, and for objection statements during the 7 month objection period (including tasks which may be extended for up to one year from the gTLD RG start, for the first round).
gTLD RG Composition
The ANgWG had determined that, at least initially, the gTLD RG be composed of:
- 2 members to be recommended by each of the RALOs
- 1 member volunteer from each region
All members being determined by the ALAC.
Should the work load require adding people to the gTLD RG at a later time, that decision can be made by the gTLD RG itself in consultation with the ANgWG.
gTLD RG Requirements
Members of the gTLD RG are required to:
A. understand the approved ALAC procedure (https://community.icann.org/x/EZnbAQ) by which At-Large and the ALAC can submit public comments on and file objections to new gTLD applications
B. be able to use the At-Large wiki to create/edit/update wiki pages
C. be able to work in English
D. have an understanding of ICANN's Applicant Guidebook (AGB; http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/guidebook-full-11jan12-en.pdf) which describes the application process for new gTLDs from start to finish
E. be able to give a flexible commitment of time. It is estimated that on the average, 2-3 hours per week would be needed and there would be bi-weekly conference calls over the anticipated over the 7 month objection period. However, in such processes, it is typical that the majority of both comments and objection requests will occur towards the end of the 60 day comment period and 7 month objection period, so the workload will likely be heavier at those times. Presuming no changes to the Applicant Guidebook regarding comments and objections, it is anticipated that the duration of the gTLD RG tasks will be up to 1 year for this first round.
F. make a Statement of Interest (SOI) in which they:
a. declare that they have no Conflicts of Interest (COI); or
b. disclose any possible or existing COI.
A COI is defined as having an immediate past (previous 6 months), current or predetermined interest (being financial or other) in a New gTLD Applicant or any other party that is involved in any manner whatsoever with an applicant or the proposed registry. In determining COI, reference should be made to Section 2.4.3.1 at page 84 of the AGB which details some COI Guidelines. All members and RALOs will be informed of any changes in the gTLD RG's COI policy.
Please note, the specific RALO the member belongs to will be asked to confirm this SOI to the best of its ALS representatives' knowledge, information and belief.
Both the SOI and RALO confirmation will be reviewed by the ALAC to vet the declarations, with final approval to join the gTLD RG being determined by ALAC vote. In some instances it may be necessary for the ALAC to interview the member. SOIs of approved members of the gTLD RG will be posted on the Working Group's wiki page.
It is recognised that during the course of the new gTLD Objection period, a COI possibly may occur and in such cases the member is required to promptly disclose such COIs to the gTLD RG. In any event, the SOI will be periodically reviewed by the gTLD RG, either monthly or prior to each gTLD RG call (whichever is more frequent).
