This agenda was established according to the GNSO Council Operating Procedures approved and updated on 13 November 2014.
For convenience:
- An excerpt of the ICANN Bylaws defining the voting thresholds is provided in Appendix 1 at the end of this agenda.
- An excerpt from the Council Operating Procedures defining the absentee voting procedures is provided in Appendix 2 at the end of this agenda.
Meeting Time 15:00 UTC:
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Coordinated Universal Time 15:00 UTC
07:00 Los Angeles; 10:00 Washington; 15:00 London; 16:00 Brussels; 23:00 Perth
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Item 1: Administrative matters (5 mins)
1.1 Roll Call
1.2 Statement of interest updates
1.3 Review/amend agenda
1.4. Note the status of minutes for the previous Council meeting per the GNSO Operating Procedures:
Minutes of the GNSO Council Public meeting and the Administrative meeting of the new Council on 15 October 2014 and the GNSO Council meeting 13 November 2014 will be posted as approved on 7 December 2014.
Item 2: Opening Remarks / Review of Projects & Action List (10 mins)
Review focus areas and provide updates on specific key themes / topics
Include review of Projects List and Action List.
Comments or questions arising.
Item 3: Consent agenda (5 mins)
Item 4: DISCUSSION – Board Working Group Report on the Nominating Committee (10 mins)
ICANN posted for public comment the report prepared by the Board Working Group on Nominating Committee (BWG-NomCom). The Board stated that it welcomes input from the community on the BWG-NomCom report as the recommendations in the BWG-NomCom report have potential effects on the NomCom structure.
If implemented, the recommendations would result in an increase in the number of appointees from ccNSO and ASO and a reduction in the GNSO appointees. Also, GAC representation could increase at GAC discretion. Overall, the size of the NomCom would increase from 21 to 25-27 individuals.
The deadline for comments was 21 October, followed by a reply period, extended to 9 January. Here, the Council will consider whether to submit input on behalf of the Council to the public comment forum and, if so, the content of such input.
4.1 Update (Tony Holmes)
4.2 Discussion
4.3 Next steps
Item 5: UPDATE – Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (15 mins)
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has requested that ICANN "convene a multistakeholder process to develop a plan to transition the U.S. government stewardship role" with regard to the IANA Functions and related root zone management.
During discussions around the transition process, the community raised the broader topic of the impact of the change on ICANN's accountability given its historical contractual relationship with the United States and NTIA. The concerns raised during these discussions around the transition process indicate that the level of trust into the existing ICANN accountability mechanisms does not yet meet some stakeholder's expectations. Considering that the NTIA has stressed that it was expecting community consensus regarding the transition, this gap between the current situation and stakeholder expectations may prevent the transition to proceed.
As a result, a DT was formed with participants, amongst others, from the ccNSO, GNSO, ASO and ALAC to develop a charter for a Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability. The DT delivered the proposed charter for consideration to all the ICANN Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees on 3 November 2014 and the charter was adopted by the GNSO Council during its meeting on 13 November. .
Here the Council will receive an update on status and activities of the CCWG to date.
5.1 Update (Thomas Rickert)
5.2 Discussion
5.3 Next steps
Item 6: DISCUSSION – Prospective policy work on "name collision" (15 mins)
On the 30 July 2014, the New gTLD Program Committee of the ICANN Board directed staff to "provide information to, and work with the GNSO to consider whether policy work on developing a long-term plan to manage gTLD name collision issues should be undertaken."
ICANN Staff submitted this paper to the GNSO Council on 7 October 2014 (see https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/name-collision-gnso-policy-07oct14-en.pdf) and it was presented to the Council during the ICANN meeting in Los Angeles. Council members agreed in Los Angeles to discuss with their respective group what further action, if any, should be taken on this topic and report back accordingly during this meeting.
Furthermore, a letter was received from Cyrus Namazi offering any additional information or assistance that ICANN Staff can provide to further assist the Council in its deliberations.
The GNSO Council discussed the topic during its last meeting following which all Councilors were encouraged to discuss with their respective groups what, if any, policy development is deemed necessary and to provide that feedback during this meeting.
6.1 Discussion
6.2 Next steps
Item 7: DISCUSSION – Board resolution concerning future gTLD Application Rounds (15 mins)
On 17 November 2014 the ICANN Board adopted a resolution the planning for future gTLD application rounds. As part of its action, the Board acknowledged the effort and progress within the GNSO to identify areas where the GNSO believes that policy advice can be clarified or where it wishes to provide additional policy advice applicable to future application rounds. Furthermore, as requested in the GNSO Council's June 2014 resolution, the Board provided input into the GNSO Council's discussion to identify areas that the Board believes may be appropriate for discussion in an evaluation of the current gTLD application round and for possible adjustments for subsequent application procedures.
This is an opportunity for the GNSO Council to review and discuss the input received.
7.1 – Update
7.2 – Discussion
Item 8: UPDATE – GNSO / GAC Consultation Group and related work (15 mins)
Here the Council will have an opportunity to hear about the work of the GNSO / GAC Consultation Group and from the GNSO Liaison to the GAC including any initial input and feedback derived following the ICANN meeting in Los Angeles.
In addition, there will be an opportunity to further discuss ideas put forward during the GNSO Council Development Session in relation to potential GNSO work in response to the GAC Communiqué from ICANN meetings.
8.1 – Update on GAC/GNSO Consultation Group (Mason Cole)
8.2 – Update on draft process for dealing with GAC Communique (Volker Greimann)
8.3 – Discussion
Item 9: UPDATE – Cross Community Working Group to develop a transition proposal for IANA stewardship on naming related functions (15 mins)
Following adoption of the charter, this is an opportunity for the Council to receive a brief update on the current status as well as next steps of this CWG. The CWG has been tasked to develop an IANA Stewardship Transition Proposal on Naming Related Functions and has been meeting for 2 hours every week since its creation in view of delivering a final proposal by the end of January 2015. A number of sub-groups have been formed to progress work on the different elements of the ICG Request for Proposals and a face-to-face meeting is being planned for mid-November. A draft proposal will be published for community comment on 1 December. For further information, see https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg.
9.1 – Update (Jonathan Robinson)
9.2 – Next steps
Item 10 Any Other Business (10 mins)
10.1 Correspondence with NGPC on IGO & RCRC. Any update?
10.2 Skill sets for Nominating Committee. Complete?
10.3 Letter to the GAC sub-working group on geographic names from Cross-Constituency Working Group on Country and Territory Names (CWG) – Confirmation of no objection?
10.4 Planning for ICANN meeting in Singapore – key direction & themes
10.5 Letter from Akram Atallah concerning IDN Implementation Guidelines
Appendix 1: GNSO Council Voting Thresholds (ICANN Bylaws, Article X, Section 3)
9. Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, Annex A hereto, or the GNSO Operating Procedures, the default threshold to pass a GNSO Council motion or other voting action requires a simple majority vote of each House. The voting thresholds described below shall apply to the following GNSO actions:
Create an Issues Report: requires an affirmative vote of more than one-fourth (1/4) vote of each House or majority of one House.
Initiate a Policy Development Process ("PDP") Within Scope (as described in Annex A): requires an affirmative vote of more than one-third (1/3) of each House or more than two-thirds (2/3) of one House.
Initiate a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of GNSO Supermajority.
Approve a PDP Team Charter for a PDP Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of more than one-third (1/3) of each House or more than two-thirds (2/3) of one House.
Approve a PDP Team Charter for a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority.
Changes to an Approved PDP Team Charter: For any PDP Team Charter approved under d. or e. above, the GNSO Council may approve an amendment to the Charter through a simple majority vote of each House.
Terminate a PDP: Once initiated, and prior to the publication of a Final Report, the GNSO Council may terminate a PDP only for significant cause, upon a motion that passes with a GNSO Supermajority Vote in favor of termination.
Approve a PDP Recommendation Without a GNSO Supermajority: requires an affirmative vote of a majority of each House and further requires that one GNSO Council member representative of at least 3 of the 4 Stakeholder Groups supports the Recommendation.
Approve a PDP Recommendation With a GNSO Supermajority: requires an affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority,
Approve a PDP Recommendation Imposing New Obligations on Certain Contracting Parties: where an ICANN contract provision specifies that "a two-thirds vote of the council" demonstrates the presence of a consensus, the GNSO Supermajority vote threshold will have to be met or exceeded.
Modification of Approved PDP Recommendation: Prior to Final Approval by the ICANN Board, an Approved PDP Recommendation may be modified or amended by the GNSO Council with a GNSO Supermajority vote.
A "GNSO Supermajority" shall mean: (a) two-thirds (2/3) of the Council members of each House, or (b) three-fourths (3/4) of one House and a majority of the other House."
Appendix 2: Absentee Voting Procedures (GNSO Operating Procedures 4.4)
4.4.1 Applicability
Absentee voting is permitted for the following limited number of Council motions or measures.
- Initiate a Policy Development Process (PDP);
- Approve a PDP recommendation;
- Recommend amendments to the GNSO Operating Procedures (GOP) or ICANN Bylaws;
- Fill a Council position open for election.
4.4.2 Absentee ballots, when permitted, must be submitted within the announced time limit, which shall be 72 hours from the meeting's adjournment. In exceptional circumstances, announced at the time of the vote, the Chair may reduce this time to 24 hours or extend the time to 7 calendar days, provided such amendment is verbally confirmed by all Vice-Chairs present.
4.4.3 The GNSO Secretariat will administer, record, and tabulate absentee votes according to these procedures and will provide reasonable means for transmitting and authenticating absentee ballots, which could include voting by telephone, e-mail, web-based interface, or other technologies as may become available.
4.4.4 Absentee balloting does not affect quorum requirements. (There must be a quorum for the meeting in which the vote is initiated.)
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