ICANN Policy Update | Volume 15, Issue 1 - January 2015
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
Volume 15, Issue 1 – January 2015
A note from David Olive
ICANN 52 Approaches
In a few days, the ICANN community will convene in Singapore for ICANN 52. The meeting comes at a critical time for the ICANN organization, particularly regarding the various efforts supporting the IANA Functions Stewardship Transition process and the Enhancing ICANN Accountability process.
Of course, this work is in addition to the core policy development activities across the ICANN Supporting Organizations and the policy advice work of the ICANN Advisory Committees. ICANN 52 promises to be another busy meeting. Please refer to the full meeting schedule for information about session times and locations.
Pre-ICANN 52 Policy Update Webinar
In preparation for ICANN 52, the Policy Development Support Team will be hosting a Policy Update webinar to brief all stakeholders on Thursday, 29 January 2015. Two sessions—at 10:00 UTC and 19:00 UTC—will be offered. Please remember to RSVP to receive participation details.
Public Comment Enhancements Launch
After months of planning, two major enhancements to ICANN's public comment processes launched on 26 January 2015. The Policy Development Support Team worked closely with the Online Community Services Team to implement these two ATRT2 recommendations, which were explained in recent webinar sessions to the broader stakeholder community. To learn more about the improvements please visit this page.
From the Pre-ICANN 52 Policy Update Webinar to the Public Comment Enhancements, the Policy Development Support Team is here to provide ICANN's stakeholders with the necessary tools, mechanisms, and services to actively and substantively contribute to the work of our bottom-up, multistakeholder model.
See you soon in Singapore,
David Olive
Vice President, Policy Development Support
General Manager, ICANN Istanbul Hub Office
Across ICANN
Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
Address Supporting Organization (ASO)
Regional Internet Registry Number Resource Policy Discussions
Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
SECIR Working Group Begins Subscribing ccTLDs to (Interim) Incident Response Email List
SOP Working Group Submits Input to ICANN's Latest Operating Plan
Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
Prepare for ICANN 52 with the GNSO's New ICANN Meeting Information Page
Public Comment Closing Soon: Should Contact Information Be Translated Or Transliterated?
At-Large
ALAC Policy Development Activities from Late-December to Mid-January
"Celebrating Diversity" at the APRALO Showcase at ICANN 52
2 New At-Large Structures (ALSes) Introduced in January
At-Large Website Revamp Approaching the Final Stage of Design Phase
Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
Gearing Up for ICANN 52 in Singapore
Open Community Session on Geographic Names in Future New gTLD Rounds Scheduled at ICANN 52
Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC)
New RSSAC Leadership Team Begins Work
Read in Your Preferred Language
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ICANN Policy Update Statement of Purpose
Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policyinfo@icann.org.
Policy Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees
| Address Supporting Organization | ASO |
| Country Code Names Supporting Organization | ccNSO |
| Generic Names Supporting Organization | GNSO |
| At-Large Advisory Committee | ALAC |
| Governmental Advisory Committee | GAC |
| Root Server System Advisory Committee | RSSAC |
| Security and Stability Advisory Committee | SSAC |
Across ICANN
Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
Several public comment periods are currently open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now to share your views on the following topics:
Release of Country and Territory Names within the .BMW and .MINI TLDs
This Public Comment period aims at gathering community input on proposed amendments to the .BMW and .MINI Registry Agreements.
ICANN intends to develop a tool to allow the Generation Panels and the community to develop and use Label Generation Ruleset (LGR) in the new machine-readable XML-based format. ICANN has released the set of requirements for the development of this LGR tool for public comment.
Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information PDP Initial Report
This public comment opportunity is intended to obtain input on the recommendations put forward in the Initial Report by the members of the Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information PDP Working Group.
This Public Comment period aims at gathering community input on proposed amendments to the .DVAG, .TUI, .SPIEGEL, .ALLFINANZ and .FLSMIDTH Registry Agreements.
Annual IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Review
ICANN is opening a public comment forum for the annual review of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process. The input received will be used to determine appropriate updates to the current version of the Final Implementation Plan of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process (FIP) and for the proposed IDN ccTLD policy, which is currently under consideration.
WHOIS Accuracy Pilot Study Report
The WHOIS Pilot Study Report describes the results of a pilot accuracy study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. The Report illustrates the findings and methodology to be deployed in the WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System (ARS) under development by ICANN.
ICANN has released for public comments a set of documents that present an overview of the tasks of a Generation Panel.
The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council formed a Working Group (WG) tasked to provide the Council with a set of recommendations on a number of questions that specifically relate to policy and implementation in a GNSO context. The WG has now published its Initial Recommendations Report for community input. (See story below)
Public Comment Sought on Potential Change to Registrar Accreditation Insurance Requirement
As part of its Underserved Regions initiative, ICANN has been exploring potential changes to the insurance requirements for registrar accreditation. ICANN seeks community input to determine how best to address potential changes to or elimination of these requirements.
ICANN has released for public comment version 2 of the Maximal Starting Repertoire (MSR-2).
At any time, the full list of issues open for public comment, plus recently closed and archived public comment forums, can be found on the Public Comment web page.
The staff also populates a web page to help preview potential "upcoming" public comment opportunities. This page – "Public Comments - Upcoming" page – provides information about potential future public comment opportunities. The page is updated after every ICANN Public Meeting to help individuals and the community to set priorities and plan their future workloads.
Address Supporting Organization (ASO)
Regional Internet Registry Number Resource Policy Discussions
At a Glance
Each of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) has a web page that lists any and all Internet number resource policy proposals that are under discussion. Policy discussions take place on open policy mailing lists and at Public Policy Meetings (list and meeting information is provided below).
These are some examples of Internet number resource policy and other discussions that took place recently on the RIR policy mailing lists and/or at meetings.
AFRINIC
Proposal page: http://www.afrinic.net/en/community/policy-development/policy-proposals/
Appointment of an Interim CEO for AFRINIC
Chairman of the AFRINIC Board, Mr. Sunday Folayan, reported, "As part of the ongoing process to find a successor to our founding CEO, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Patrisse Deesse as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of AFRINIC. Patrisse joined AFRINIC in September 2007 as Finance and Administration Manager. He has been involved in all aspects of the organization including Finance, Human Resources, and Administration. He worked on and implemented several projects relating to billing and set up of the financial processes and procedures."
More about AFRINIC's 2014 Year in Review, please visit: http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news
APNIC
Proposal page: http://www.apnic.net/community/policy/proposals
APNIC is currently calling for policy proposals to be discussed at APNIC 39. Policy proposals must be submitted by Friday, 30 January 2015. To submit a policy proposal to the Policy SIG Chairs you can use the online form at http://www.apnic.net/community/policy/proposals/submit or send your proposal in TEXT format to policy@apnic.net using the policy proposal template: http://www.apnic.net/community/policy/process/proposal_template.txt
ARIN
Proposal page: https://www.arin.net/policy/proposals/
There was continued discussion of a recently revised version of ARIN Draft 2014-1 "Out of Region Use."
ARIN-2014-17 "Change Utilization Requirements from last-allocation to total-aggregate" was discussed and several statements of support were made.
RPKI and the Relying Party Agreement were discussed.
LACNIC
Proposal page: http://www.lacnic.net/en/web/lacnic/politicas
Oscar Robles appointed LACNIC's new Executive Director
After an in-depth and thorough selection process, LACNIC's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Oscar Alejandro Robles Garay as LACNIC's new Executive Director. Since Raúl Echeberría's resignation as Executive Director was announced, the Board has focused on identifying the most appropriate candidate to meet the organization's challenges in the coming years. At the same time, in order to ensure that the full continuity of LACNIC's action plans and leadership within Latin America and the Caribbean would be maintained during the transition, Ernesto Majó, the organization's External Relations and Communications Manager, was appointed Acting Director. During the selection process, the Board reviewed dozens of outstanding proposals submitted from throughout the region and sought to identify the person whose profile was most suited to such an important position. The Board has chosen Mr. Robles to address the challenges the organization and the Latin American and Caribbean Internet will face from now on.
RIPE
Proposal page: http://www.ripe.net/ripe/policies/current-proposals/current-policy-proposals
RIPE 2014-04 was posted for discussion. Currently, organizations that seek a final allocation of IPv4 resources must have first obtained IPv6 resources from the RIPE NCC, and this proposal would remove that requirement. While there were many posts in support of the change, there were a few posts by organizations that said they appreciated being forced to obtain IPv6.
RIPE 2014-12 was posted for discussion. This proposal would allow for the transfer of IPv6 resources within the RIPE NCC service region.
RIPE 2014-13 was posted for discussion. This proposal would allow for the transfer of Autonomous System Numbers (ASN) within the RIPE NCC service region.
Next Steps
AFRINIC 22, AIS15, and AfNog15 are scheduled to take place 24 May-5 June, 2015 in Tunis, Tunisia.
APNIC 39 and APRICOT 2015 will be 24 February-6 March, 2015 in Fukuoka, Japan.
ARIN will hold a Public Policy Consultation on 3 February 2015 during the NANOG 63 meeting in San Antonio, Texas. ARIN 35 will be 13-15 April, 2015 in San Francisco, California.
LACNIC 23 will be 3-8 May, 2015 in Peru.
RIPE 70 will be 11-15 May, 2015 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
More Information
- AFRINIC (RPD): http://www.afrinic.net/en/community/email-a-mailing-lists
- APNIC (Policy SIG): http://www.apnic.net/community/participate/join-discussions
- ARIN (PPML): http://www.arin.net/mailing_lists/index.html
- LACNIC (Politicas): http://www.lacnic.net/web/lacnic/lista-de-discusion
- RIPE (Address-policy-wg): http://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/ripe-mailing-lists/address-policy-wg
Staff Contact
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
SECIR Working Group Begins Subscribing ccTLDs to (Interim) Incident Response Email List
At a Glance
The Secure Email Communication for ccTLD Incident Response (SECIR) Working Group has taken its first step towards subscribing ccTLDs on an Incident Response email List.
Recent Developments
In order to test whether the defined subscription procedures work, various ccTLD operators have been invited to subscribe to an interim mailman email list.
Once the subscription systems prove to work, the invitations will be extended to further ccTLDs, with the aim to invite every ccTLD worldwide to the list. The invitations will be sent in batches in order to keep the subscriptions procedures manageable.
Next Steps
The SECIR Working Group will give an update during ICANN 52 in Singapore on the new mailing list. Shortly after ICANN 52, the group will hold two webinars, held across all time zones and communities, inviting any interested member to learn more about the project and how the mailing list works.
The administrative contacts of each ccTLD worldwide will receive an email within the next few weeks/months with an invitation to join the email list.
Background
The SECIR Working Group is working on the implementation of a ccTLD Contact Repository, consisting of a secure mailing list that enables ccTLD operators to obtain each other's contact details and exchange rudimentary incident messages. It will be designed to work with similar lists of regional organizations, such as CENTR, or LACTLD.
While the Working Group's final goal is to set up an OPS-Trust system for secure email list communication, the group accepted an offer from DNS-OARC to use an interim mailman-based email list (the setup of the OPS-Trust system is anticipated to take longer than expected and accepted).
The mailman email list was originally established in 2004 and was used for the same purposes but has been mostly dormant. The list will be purged to allow new subscribers.
The email list would allow the subscribers to find out necessary contacts by the "Who" command function or simply by sending a message on the list.
Once the OPS-Trust system is in place, the interim list will be shut down.
More Information
- SECIR charter: http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/secir.htm
- SECIR Working Group page: http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/secir.htm
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
SOP Working Group Submits Input to ICANN's Latest Operating Plan
At a Glance
ccNSO's Strategic and Operational (SOP) Working Group, dedicated to monitoring and providing input to ICANN's Strategic and Operating Plans, has submitted their input on the ICANN Draft FY 2016-20 Operating Plan.
Next Steps
The Working Group will await ICANN's reaction to their input and will monitor which aspects are incorporated into the final Operating Plan.
It will also meet with relevant ICANN staff during ICANN 52 to discuss their input and coming developments.
Background
The SOP Working Group was established with the goal to coordinate and organize participation of ccTLD managers in ICANN's Strategic and Operational planning processes. Since its setup, it has provided regular input to each of ICANN's Strategic and Operational plans. The input does not represent the view of individual ccTLD managers or the ccNSO Council, unless requested.
More Information
- SOP Working Group comments to ICANN's Draft Operational Plan: http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/sop-comments-op-budget-fy16-fy20-24dec14-en.pdf [PDF, 132 KB]
- SOP Working Group Page: http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/sopiwg.htm
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, Policy Specialist & ccNSO Support Manager
Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
GNSO Policy & Implementation Working Group Publishes Initial Recommendations Report for Public Comment
At a Glance
The GNSO Policy & Implementation Working Group has published its Initial Recommendations Report [PDF, 1.46 MB] for community input which can be provided either through input received via the public comment forum or via a web-based survey.
Recent Developments
The WG believes that the materials contained in the report and its recommendations will enhance, clarify, standardize and increase the transparency of GNSO policy efforts as well as implementation related processes and activities. The WG has made best efforts to consider all relevant materials and viewpoints while reviewing its charter questions, as can be deduced from the materials presented in the Initial Recommendations Report, the mailing list archives, numerous conferences calls and extensive deliberations.
In brief, the WG is putting forward the following preliminary recommendations for community consideration:
- The WG recommends adhering to the Policy & Implementation principles as outlined in section 4 of the Initial Recommendations Report when policy or implementation related issues arise during the implementation phase.
- The WG proposes three new standardized processes for GNSO deliberations, namely 1) a GNSO Input Process, 2) a GNSO Guidance Process, and 3) a GNSO Expedited Policy Development Process. The details of each of these processes can be found in Annex C (GNSO Input Process), Annex D (GNSO Guidance Process) and Annex E (GNSO Expedited Policy Development Process) of the Initial Recommendations Report. The WG recognizes that there may be certain elements that may need further consideration and, as such, seeks feedback on a number of specific questions as outlined in section 5 of the Initial Recommendations Report.
- The WG recommends requiring the creation of an Implementation Review Team (IRT) following the adoption of GNSO policy recommendations and adhering to the IRT principles as outlined in Annex H of the Initial Recommendations Report.
Next Steps
Following its review of the public input received, the WG intends to finalize its report for submission to the GNSO Council for its consideration.
Background
Mainly as a result of discussions stemming from implementation-related issues of the new generic Top-Level Doman (gTLD) program, there has been an increasing community interest in how to determine which matters call for policy work and which matters call for implementation work. These matters include determining which processes should be used, at what time they should be invoked and how issues which are the subject of diverging opinions during the implementation process should be acted upon. Following several discussions, including the publication of a staff discussion paper and a community session during the ICANN meeting in Beijing in April 2013, the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council decided in July 2013 to form a Working Group tasked with providing the GNSO Council with a set of recommendations on a number of questions that specifically relate to policy and implementation in the context of GNSO matters. The WG has now published its Initial Recommendations Report for community input.
More Information
- Policy & Implementation Initial Recommendations Report [PDF, 1.46 MB]
- Policy & Implementation Initial Recommendations Report Survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PI-InitialReport
- Policy & Implementation Initial Recommendations Report Public Comment Response Template [DOC, 64 KB]
- Working Group Workspace – https://community.icann.org/x/y1V-Ag
Staff Contact
Marika Konings, Senior Policy Director and Team Leader for the GNSO
Prepare for ICANN 52 with the GNSO's New ICANN Meeting Information Page
At a Glance
The fact that the GNSO organizes a large number of sessions during ICANN meetings is no surprise, and preparing adequately for these is not always easy. To help Community members prepare the best they can, ICANN Policy Staff has put together an easy-to-access information page that puts all relevant information, background papers and links at your fingertips. To visit this page, please go to www.gnso.icann.org/icannmeeting.
Background
The GNSO is supporting 41 sessions at ICANN 52, in addition to the two-day weekend session that takes place on Saturday-Sunday, 7-8 February. Those two days will allow Community members to get updated on various GNSO policy initiatives as well as meet with the ICANN Board and Senior Executives, including CEO Fadi Chehadé.
- Monday: GNSO/GAC Consultation Group on GAC early engagement in policy development activities will meet, as will the GNSO and the ccNSO Councils for their joint session.
- Tuesday: Constituency and Stakeholder Day with 14 sessions including the meeting of the various Stakeholder Groups with the ICANN Board.
- Wednesday: The public GNSO Council Meeting, followed by a meeting of the Policy & Implementation Working Group which is presenting its Initial Recommendations Report (see article above).
- Thursday: The concluding GNSO Council Wrap-Up session precedes the Public Forum
Please, make sure to consult the full ICANN 52 meeting schedule for any last-minute changes and follow the GNSO on Twitter (@ICANN_GNSO) for all the latest up-to-date information on everything GNSO-related during ICANN52.
More Information
Staff Contact
Lars Hoffmann, Policy Specialist
Public Comment Closing Soon: Should Contact Information Be Translated Or Transliterated?
At a Glance
The PDP Working Group on Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information published its Initial Report [PDF, 743 KB] on 15 December 2014 and the Report will be open to Public Comment until 1 February 2015.
Recent Developments
The PDP Working Group was formed in December 2014 and has been tasked with answering two questions: should domain name registration contact information (commonly referred to as 'Whois data') be translated or transliterated into one single script or language and if so, who should bear the costs of such a requirement? A majority of Working Group members currently favors not to recommend such mandatory translation or transliteration.
A community webinar was held on 16 January 2015 to inform the community about the Group's deliberations and preliminary recommendations.
Public Comments can be submitted until 1 February 2015 and community members are encouraged to submit their views to help inform the Group's deliberations in the run-up to the Final Report, scheduled for May 2015.
Next Steps
After reviewing all comments received, the Working Group members will start drafting the Final Report. The target date for that publication is currently May 2015.
More Information
- Initial Report [PDF, 743 KB]
- Public Comment
- Webinar on Initial Report
Staff Contact
Julie Hedlund, Policy Director
Lars Hoffmann, Policy Specialist
At-Large / At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)
At-Large Community Turns Attention to IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability Processes at ICANN 52
At a Glance
The members of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and the leaders of the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) will be implementing a new meeting strategy that focuses discussions on high interest topics at ICANN 52, mainly the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability processes.
Recent Developments
Representatives from the At-Large community will hold 22 meetings during ICANN 52 in Singapore from 8-12 February 2015. The members of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and the leaders of the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) will be implementing a new meeting strategy that focuses discussions on hot topics, such as the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability.
In addition to their traditional policy meetings, the ALAC and RALO leaders will be meeting with the ICANN Board of Directors, the ccNSO, the GAC, the NomCom Leadership, the SSAC and senior ICANN staff. Several At-Large Working Groups will also be meeting, and APRALO will be holding its 4th APRALO Showcase on the theme of "Celebrating Diversity".
More Information
- All At-Large Meetings, including their time, location and agenda, are available on the At-Large ICANN 52 - February 2015 Workspace
- ICANN 52 Meeting Page
Staff Contact
Heidi Ullrich, Senior Director for At-Large
ALAC Policy Development Activities from Late-December to Mid-January
At a Glance
During this period, the ALAC ratified and submitted two Statements in response to public comment requests:
- The ALAC Statement on the Cross Community Working Group (CWG) on Naming Related Functions Draft Transition Proposal provides a substantive analysis of the CWG's proposed structures and suggests alternative solutions;
- the ALAC Statement on the ICANN Draft Five-Year Operating Plan was jointed developed by six ALAC members across five Regional At-Large Organizations.
Both Statements have been translated into six UN languages plus Portuguese, and you may read their original and translated versions on the At-Large Correspondence Page.
Recent Developments
-
ALAC Statement on the Cross Community Working Group (CWG) on Naming Related Functions Draft Transition Proposal
The ALAC firmly believes that ICANN has demonstrated that it can reliably perform the IANA services, and should be allowed to continue to do so, unless or until it demonstrates that it is incapable or unwilling to carry out these functions for the benefit of the Internet community. To ensure that this is done, additional accountability measures need to be put in place to ensure that this happens.
In the view of the ALAC, a suitable transition proposal will include the following:
- IANA responsibility awarded to ICANN
- New Board accountability to ensure that multistakeholder community can initiate action if dissatisfied with IANA performance
- Independent Appeal process to address perceived errors
- Doomsday capability to reassign responsibility if all else fails
The Statement analyzes and provides a detailed critique of the CWG Draft Proposal as well as several Recommendations for modification of the Proposal to more closely fit the ALAC model.
The ALAC notes that the components of the transitioned IANA discussed in the statement closely model those within the CWG Proposal. That was done to ensure the smallest possible deviation from the CWG Proposal. The ALAC is not bound to support these exact components, so long as the four bullets above are addressed.
-
ALAC Statement on the ICANN Draft Five-Year Operating Plan
The ALAC proposes the following revision recommendations to the ICANN Draft Five-Year Operating Plan (FY16-FY20):
- Include an assessment of the possible impact that the IANA stewardship transition may have in ICANN's operations
- Change the wording to reflect the vision that stakeholder engagement is to be encouraged by the wide ICANN community, not just by the staff
- Include SMART implementation metrics in strategic objectives or goals where fit
- Encourage underrepresented stakeholder groups to engage with ICANN at local, regional, and international levels and to establish
Next Steps
- Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information PDP Initial Report – ALAC commenting on a Statement
- IDN TLD Program - Label Generation Ruleset (LGR) Tool Project (P1) - LGR Tool Set Specifications – ALAC drafting a Statement
- WHOIS Accuracy Pilot Study Report – ALAC considering drafting a Statement
- Annual IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Review – ALAC considering drafting a Statement
- IDN TLDs - LGR Procedure Implementation - Guidelines for Designing Script-Specific Label Generation Rules (LGR) – ALAC considering drafting a Statement
- Potential Change to Registrar Accreditation Insurance Requirement – ALAC considering drafting a Statement
More Information
Staff Contact
Xinyue (Ariel) Liang, At-Large Policy Coordinator
"Celebrating Diversity" at the APRALO Showcase at ICANN 52
At a Glance
The APRALO Showcase will take place during ICANN 52 in Singapore on Wednesday 11 February 2015 from 18: 30 – 20:30 at the Raffles Convention Center. This year's Showcase theme is "APRALO Celebrating Diversity" and will also celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Recent Developments
This will be a unique opportunity for local Internet enthusiasts to learn more about APRALO's regional activities. The Showcase will feature ICANN's President and CEO Fadi Chehadé, Board Chairman Steve Crocker, as well as Alan Greenberg, ALAC Chair and members of APRALO.
Around fifteen representatives of APRALO ALSes are planning to attend the event self-financed and will introduce their organizations and projects. This event will provide an opportunity for APRALO members to draw attention to their activities within ICANN's policy development process and will serve to promote their involvement and participation in the At-Large community.
The event will include an artistic performance graciously offered to all attendees by the students of the Malaysian School "Sekolah Menengah Sains Kubang Pasu". The performance includes the dancing "Dikir Bakar" and the "Wave of English", a tool for improving English language proficiency in Malaysian Schools. This will be followed by a Chinese calligraphy demonstration by Brush & Ink and a reception of refreshments sponsored by Dot Asia and ICANN.
Background
The APRALO 2015 Singapore Showcase is part of a series of regional showcase events that started with the African Showcase at the ICANN Meeting in Nairobi in March 2010. This is the fourth time APRALO hosts a Showcase in an ICANN meeting. Previous Showcases held in Asia took place in Singapore in 2014, Beijing in 2013, and Singapore in June 2011.
More Information
Staff Contact
Silvia Vivanco, Manager, Regional Affairs
2 New At-Large Structures (ALSes) Introduced in January
At a Glance
To date, 182 At-Large Structures make up the backbone of the At-Large community and more specifically of the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs). The ATLAS II Summit in June 2014 was the trigger for a considerable increase in new ALS applications: 24 applications in 2014 alone!
Recent Developments
Over the month of January, two new organizations became ALSs.
- AMTICS based in Argentina became part of LACRALO. Its current interests cover New gTLDs, Whois Policies, DNSSEC, Governance, Dispute Resolution, and Issues with Registrars. The organization works with academics, communicators, students, engineers and corporations as well as other organizations to promote a free and democratic Internet.
- Consumers Council of Canada was accredited to become part of NARALO. This federally incorporated non-profit organization advocates for consumer rights in Canada. ICANN related issues such as E-commerce safety and security, online identity and authentication and privacy are part of the core interests of the members of the Consumers Council.
Next Steps
Many potential ALSs are currently in the accreditation pipeline, either undergoing Due Diligence (ISOC Delhi and ISOC Palestine), or being discussed by RALO Leadership who will provide Regional Advice regarding the application (Internet Support Foundation – EURALO and the Cameroun League for Development- AFRALO).
Background
One of the main focuses of the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) is, and always has been, outreach. RALO leaders and staff work hard together to ensure that organizations or associations across the world with similar goals to those of the ICANN community know about At-Large and are motivated to be part of it. In order to manage this, they need to gain the At-Large Structure (ALS) status.
More Information
Staff Contact
Nathalie Peregrine, Secretariat Operations Coordinator, At-Large & GNSO
At-Large Website Revamp Approaching the Final Stage of Design Phase
At a Glance
The design phase of the At-Large Website Revamp project is nearing completion. During ICANN 52 in Singapore, ICANN's web product staff aims to give the At-Large community a first taste of the new site by presenting several HTML pages.
Recent Developments
During the ICANN 51 Los Angeles meeting in October 2014, the At-Large Website Revamp Taskforce gave a substantial update on the project by presenting the site map and the wireframes of major webpages of the new At-Large site. This update received positive feedback from the At-Large community members attending the meeting. In the meantime, the wireframes were uploaded to the Taskforce's public-facing workspace to solicit community comments.
After ICANN 51, the new ALAC Chair, Alan Greenberg, joined the Taskforce. During the past two months, in addition to the creation of additional mockups, the landing page wireframe went through eight rounds of iterations, incorporating substantial suggestions from the At-Large community. Now, the project is approaching the final stage of the design phase, and by the end of January, the vendor will finalize the colored version of wireframes of ten major webpages and deliver a style guide that details the general design, typography, and user interface of the site.
Next Steps
During ICANN 52, ICANN's web product team will present several clickable, HTML pages developed by a UX designer in house. By implementing the wireframes from a design perspective, these HTML pages will give At-Large community members a taste of the new site. A Q&A session with the community will follow after the presentation.
Regarding the content development aspect, the lead support staff from At-Large is tasked with drafting static content to be published on the website, particularly the text for the HTML pages to be presented during ICANN 52. So far, the Taskforce has reviewed writing samples on the WHOIS Policy Issue. Also at ICANN 52, ICANN's Communications Department will film short, hot topic videos that interview community members on ICANN policy issues. These videos will be used on the revamped At-Large website to diversify the content.
The timetable for rolling out the Beta Prototype and launching the official public website will be determined based on the schedule of the ICANN IT developers, who are responsible for building the content management system for the website.
Staff Contact
Xinyue (Ariel) Liang, At-Large Policy Coordinator
Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
Gearing Up for ICANN 52 in Singapore
At a Glance
The GAC has finalized its agenda for a face-to-face meeting at ICANN 52. Focus areas for the meeting include the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability, as well as remaining issues regarding new gTLDs. GAC Members are currently finalizing their positions for discussion in Singapore on both new and ongoing topics, and have invited stakeholder groups and ICANN staff to provide updates on certain topics.
Recent Developments
The GAC currently has ongoing discussions about developments and ways forward for the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability processes. GAC representatives participate in the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG), in the working group on naming-related IANA functions (CWG-Stewardship) and in the cross community working group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (CCWG-Accountability).
Next Steps
In addition to discussion sessions dedicated to the topics of the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability, the GAC will also address remaining concerns about the implementation of safeguards for new gTLDs and protection of IGO acronyms and Red Cross/Red Crescent national names at ICANN 52. A proposed Framework of Interpretation regarding ccTLDs will be addressed in cooperation with the ccNSO. Internal matters on the agenda include review of GAC Operating Principles, implementation of GAC-related ATRT2 recommendations, GAC's relationship to the NomCom and planning for the Buenos Aires meeting. Geographic names will be the topic for a community session on February 11 (see separate notice).
More Information
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Senior Director, GAC Relations
Julia Charvolen, Coordinator, GAC Services
Karine Perset, GAC Relations Advisor
Open Community Session on Geographic Names in Future New gTLD Rounds Scheduled at ICANN 52
At a Glance
The GAC will hold an open community session on geographic names at ICANN 52. Participation from relevant stakeholders is welcome at this session scheduled on Wednesday, 11 February. The discussion will build on a draft report from a GAC WG and community input.
Recent Developments
The GAC working group on Geographic Names (previously a sub-group of the GAC Working Group on Future New gTLDs) has sought community input on a draft document [PDF, 456 KB], outlining public policy considerations for protection of geographic names in future new gTLD rounds. Comments received have been posted online. A session to discuss the draft in light of community input will be held at ICANN 52 in Singapore on Wednesday 11 February from 10.30 - 11.30 AM, in the GAC meeting room (Collyer). The session will also build on previous discussions that took place at the London and Los Angeles meetings in 2014.
Next Steps
The 11 February session on Geographic Names is open and anyone can attend. The Working Group is looking forward to discussing the community input received and welcomes attendance by all interested parties.
More Information
- Draft "The protection of geographic names in the new gTLDs process" [PDF, 456 KB]
- GAC website, community input received
- Los Angeles GAC Communiqué [PDF, 127 KB]
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Senior Director, GAC Relations
Karine Perset, GAC Relations Advisor
Julia Charvolen, Coordinator, GAC Services
Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC)
New RSSAC Leadership Team Begins Work
Tripti Sinha Elected Co-Chair
At its regular meeting on 19 December 2014, the RSSAC elected Tripti Sinha (University of Maryland, D-Root Server Operator), joining Lars-Johan Liman (Netnod, I-Root Server Operator), as RSSAC co-chair for 2015. Liman and Sinha will lead the RSSAC in its important mission of advising the ICANN Board of Directors and community on matters relating to the operation, administration, security, and integrity of the Internet's Root Server System.
Jun Murai's Leadership Honored
With Sinha joining the RSSAC leadership team, Dr. Jun Murai (WIDE Project, M-Root Server Operator) ends his fifteen-year tenure leading RSSAC. Professor Murai was the first RSSAC Chair and one of the original nine ICANN Directors. He subsequently guided RSSAC through the growth and development of the root server system as well as internal reviews. Dr. Murai was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013 for his many career achievements and significant contributions—spanning technical and academic work—in Japan, the Asia Pacific region, and the broader global Internet community. He will remain on the RSSAC as the appointed representative for Japan-based The WIDE Project, the M-Root Server Operator. Dr. Murai will be formally recognized during the public meeting of the ICANN Board of Directors at ICANN52.
RSSAC Activities at ICANN52
The RSSAC will conduct working sessions at ICANN52 and also host a public session providing an overview of its recent advisories, RSSAC - 001 and RSSAC- 002.
More Information
Staff Contact
Carlos Reyes, Senior Policy Analyst
policy-update-jan15-en.pdf [681 KB]