At-Large ICANN 55 Meeting Reports Workspace

All day  activity on  the  CCWG  Update.  Clear discussion with little surprising revelations  

A summary video with Leon Sanchez  Co Chair  from LACRALO

Pictures  at  ICANN  55

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glennmcknight/albums/72157663091678474

The entire week as part of the Social Media Group i tweeted to #ICANN55 for the Opening Ceremony, ALAC Vote, Forums, etc

Really appreciated spending time with Aziz as he held preparatory meetings with local support teams who would be looking after his students during their visit to ICANN55. Also enjoyed some informal time with Aziz and Rinalia at the Medina, generally just enjoying the local culture and buying small gifts for my family.

15 mins session with ALAC Board Director which turned to a 35 min (very informative) session with Rinalia Abdul Rahim

Interactive session with 5 African NGOs from Cameroun, Egypt, Morocco to name a few

Busy day from  8 am  APRALO and  NGO,  All day event on  ALAC with an onus on the discussion of the endorsement of the  CCWG proposal

Evening  outreach with   NCUC  and  Adam Peake on  Civil Society Engagement

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glennmcknight/albums/72157663091678474

The day started with a 7am meeting with the ALT - the promised hot breakfast didn't happen but a productive preparatory meeting despite the moans and groans

Important items during the ALAC Strategy and Working sessions were the ALS Criteria (still under discussion); continuing discussion of each of the sections of the CCWG proposal in readiness for the ALAC vote (nearing the end of this phase); and Holly's request for inputs with regards to the At-Large Review (there is still a lot of work to be done there).

Morning started with  Newcomers/Fellowship  support

AFRALO and NGO  sessions  with  insights in  African and   Pierre Danjinou and  Fhad Batayneh   strategies from 8 am

All with ALAC culimating with successful vote

Outreach and Engagement meeting

Ended with the Fellows reception

Great start to the day - meeting with the APRALO team. Looking forward to our continuing relationship with Jia-Rong and the Singapore team with regards to webinar development as well as our joint participation in events and visits. I gave a presentation on metrics and participation as part of the Leadership Teams participation in the APTLD AGM and the APRICOT meeting where Siranush introduced the participants to APRALO (and where we had to use an ICANN map that didn't have NZ on it!! - this did not go down well with the NZers in the audience . It was good to have Nadira at the meeting to provide some personal input with regards to her FBSC application. Our recommendation in regards to financial support from ICANN is for better guidance about the different funding mechanisms and what they will actually fund. And what qualifies an application to FBSC as being "special"? Pavan reported that of the 43 ALSes, at least 50% had at least 50% attendance of meetings. We need to work on improving this.

The ALAC and Regional Leadership Working Sessions - significantly, more discussion on the CCWG proposal

The Outreach and Engagement session provided a great overview of what his happening in the regions.The APRALO Leadership team had had the benefit of an overview of FY16 and a strategic planning meeting for FY17 while we were together in Auckland so we were probably a little bit more prepared than other RALOs. Siranush presented our regional overview.

March 7

13:30-14:45

Background: The IETF published the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) in March 2015 (and was presented to ICANN in the Dublin meeting) – the protocol that will replace the Whois Protocol.  The next step is how to implement the protocol – - what must be implemented - the purpose of this meeting.

In the meeting, the Francisco Arias presented the ICANN view of what the RDAP implementation should be, based on ICANN contracts and policies, looking at three main issues: Differentiated Access, Thick Whois and Registrar Data Protocol obligations.

Began with background – including why RDAP was developed, provisions that are improvements on the Whois Protocol.

On differentiated access – what it is – noting there is no existing policy addressing this facility. (only three gTLDs have a contract provision allowing RDDS with differentiated access)

Review of feedback on the protocol – including from ALAC., and others saying delay implementation until the policy on gated access is clarified. 

In the presentation, the slides said ‘it could take years’ for a new policy to be developed.  Concludes: Given the lack of policy and contractual requirements for differentiated access, ICANN is considering moving forward implementing RDAP without requirement for differentiated access as a requirement for all gTLDs.

In discussion, some stressed there is no contractual requirement for differentiated access, while lots of others argued strongly at least allowing contracted parties to at least voluntarily adopt differentiated access features, including argument that a change is policy is already known and why spend money on implementing the protocol without the features, and later, adopting features to allow differentiated access. – or will implementation be allowed to defer the protocol until the policy is developed.  

Attended the joint meeting of the GAC and ALAC and then helped to lead the NARALO monthly meeting. Later on then I particiapted in the ALAC sessions with Sally costerton, talking about the new programs she is doing. We also met with Betsy Andrews and a new direction for ICANN Learn. Asked Betsy whether the sessions on ICANN Learn will be captioned and she indicated that was their intention. She also talked about looking for a service to provide captioning to older sessions through some new technology

A discussion of the Next Gen program, new rules for fellowship. Worked with Xavier and asked questions regarding the special request budgets and Cropp. Also asked about the NARALO GA and whether it will be approved or not and also about the likely hood that if the ICANN57 is moved from Puerto Rico and moved out of region what will the impact be on NARALO's GA. Also met with Rob Hoggarth talked about the CROPP program and whether we can start applications in July instead of September. Part 2 of the ALAC meetings were updates from the various task forces like accessibility and technical task force.  We then had our meeting with Allan Grogan and he told us what he had not been doing on compliance. We brought up the issue of consumer trust. In the evening was the ISOC@ICANN event celebrating woman's day, the APRALO Chinese ALS event and then the Affilias sponsored jam session staring many At Large people. See pictures on Facebook and videos I posted.

March 8

APAC Space 11:00-12:30

• Jia-Rong Low, ICANN VP for the Asian Region Implementing ICANN’s globalisation policy. Activities since Dublin include contractual compliance workshops for registries and registrars. Are also other outreach in China.  Also have bi-monthly webinars which have been a success
• Save  - ICANN VP for Oceania.  Have been urging ccTLD operators in the area to emply DNSSEC,  supported regional IGFs ancluding training support and capacity in the oceana region and will be holding sort of an  IGF in Samoa in September.
• APAC participation in GNSO Recommendations from the Dublin meeting included webinars and fact sheets which ICANN has been developing.
• Universal Acceptance – Edmon Chung/Don Hollander Definition is that all valid names are accepted, validated, sorted, processed and displayed correctly and consistently.  Is not happening now and particularly an issue for IDNs and some of the new gTLDs. Is really a software issue. Have a website and range of material available on the issue. They are supported by ICANN, but not an official ICANN working group.
• Developments in China’s Domain Market – Kurt Pritz – representing an organisation Allegrqvita introducing firms into China – TLD applicants use the services of the company.  In China, new domain names are valued such that they can be collateral for loans!

A later start than usual at the Capacity Building meeting - met with Betsy Andrews and a new direction for ICANN Learn (not before time). I was then able to catch a short session with the ccNSO on marketing activities by some ccTLDs. At lunchtime the APRALO team were introduced to the ISC team to initiate some discussions about our respective expectations. The APRALO team is keen to have an onsite visit and to meet potential ALS participants - we met as a team to discuss this proposal plus other events planned for the rest of 2016. After giving a ccNSO report to the ALAC & Regional Leaders wrap up, I then rushed to the end of the ccNSO members meeting just after they had voted in favour of the CCWG proposal. There were even drinks set up for the members to celebrate their decision. The ccNSO Council formally endorsed the members' decision and passed the message on to the Board.

9 March

Contractual Compliance 09:00- 10:15

• Contractual Compliance Campaign Update: Campaign includes twitter and facebook campaign to drive  to website,  a video, and handouts

• Policy and Working Group Update: Involved in Competition, Trust and Choice Review, the Rights Protection Mechanism Review, new gTLD subsequent procedures, DNS Abuse Review, Clarification of PICs Spec 11,  Curative Rights protection, and the Thick Whois/RDAP discussions

• Audit Activities: Launched new RA audit January 2016, have selected 10 new gTLD Registry SPs not already audited, next audit phase for March/April, and talked to sources of data audited and documentation languages

• Performance Measurement, registrar/Registry compliance: Chart showing Contractual Compliance KPI for ICANN 54/ICANN55, chart showing satisfaction with compliance services, data on complaints received, and closed before/after 1^st notice, 2^nd notice, 3^rd notice, and number of breaches, suspensions and terminations

9 March

RySG Healthy Domain Initiative 14:30- 1530

9 March

GNSO Next Generation RDS PDP  16:00-18:00

• Review of the WG membership and Expertise (and discussion about expertise in the WG membership on issues raised by this issue)
• Discussion on the process framework
• Review of the draft working plan

In summary, the meeting was largely taken up with process details and not on the substantive issues.  One topic that was raised was the order of discussion of issues in the Work Plan.

Meeting on outstanding issues and communication with VP Chris Modini. Silvia did notes on action issues. Issues Out or Region trips, Forthcoming GA and other issues

Participate in the Civil Engagement meeting with Adam Peak, JJS and others

It started off as one of those days - ALT meeting - the breakfast didn't turn up, again - so Heidi introduced us to the oubliette (I got to see it proper later in the day when Joseph paid a reimbursement for me. Yet it is certainly somewhere people could forget you were there.. Mind you, the guards at the doorway ask for your credentials before they allow you past the entrance. I just mentioned the magic word "Joseph" for them to go scampering in to notify him of a visitor. I attended the Internet Governance Session and heard feedback from the WSIS+10 dscussions and the IGF Brazil. Unfortunately time ran out to offer some discussion on fragmentation vs openness. This will be transderred to the next meeting.

Had an awesome time with students during the University Outreach to University of Cadi in Marrakech. We had students ask some awesome questions regarding to ICANN and the Internet. This clearly aslo showed that there is a gap in their knowledge about ICANN in academia and recommend that more engagement is done with the Universities through remote participation and the webinar.