The ALAC–GAC at ICANN59 meeting was held on Tuesday, 27 June. We just had three items on the agenda.
1) Enhancing the ALAC – GAC cooperation beyond mere discussions.
I think we found three mechanisms:
1) GAC participation in ALAC Working Groups, when they get reactivated, and hopefully vice versa
2) Exchange of written information - but selectively, not increasing the overload
3) Informal coffee break meetings at ICANN meetings, between topic leads from both sides.
2) Approaches to subsequent procedures on new gTLDs
Actually, we discussed and lamented difficulties that both GAC and ALAC experience in following the new gTLD process. Neither has resources to follow all tracks. GAC also has a structural paradox. Their early engagement is not seen as legitimate, but when they finally give their advice to the Board, they are told that they are too late.
It was useful to compare notes on these issues that seem to very much on everybody’s mind. Perhaps GAC and ALAC can somehow join forces to push for ICANN 3.0 or 4.0, whatever.
Unfortunately, there were few suggestions for concrete cooperation in the new cTLDs. However, the GAC Chair mentioned categories, and that’s something that I think we’re interested in, too. Mark Carvell is going to write a paper on the CBA’s, and I intend to keep in touch with him and keep ALAC informed and see whether we could do something along similar lines.
3) Underserved regions
First thing is to get government people and ALS’es to talk to each other. This hopefully happens at the capacity building seminars organized by the GAC. Cooperation between ALAC WG on Outreach and Engagement and and GAC WG on Underserved Regions was mentioned.
4) Other
Couple of other promising areas for cooperation: public interest and mitigation of DNS abuse from consumer point of view.
As the liaison, I intend to pursue all leads for concrete cooperation that came up at the meeting, with individual GAC members and of course LT’s on both sides.
Yrjö Länsipuro
