[council] Proposed Agenda for the Special GNSO Council Session on 29 February 2016 at 21:00

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Councillors,
Please find the proposed Agenda for the Special GNSO Council Session on 29 
February 2016 at 21:00 UTC. Please note at the bottom of the agenda the people 
who have been invited to attend this meeting as under 3.2.
Posted on Wiki at: http://tinyurl.com/grkqjct
and on page: http://gnso.icann.org/en/group-activities/calendar#feb
This agenda was established according to the GNSO Council Operating 
Procedures,<http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/op-procedures-24jun15-en.pdf> 
approved and updated on 24 June 2015.

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.

Coordinated Universal Time: 21:00 UTC
13:00 Los Angeles; 16:00 Washington; 21:00 London; 23:00 Istanbul; 08:00 Hobart 
Tuesday 1 March
http://tinyurl.com/hj3pug7

GNSO Council Meeting Audio Cast
To join the event click on the link: http://stream.icann.org:8000/gnso.m3u
Councilors should notify the GNSO Secretariat in advance if they will not be 
able to attend and/or need a dial out call.
___________________________________________

Item 1: Administrative matters (5 minutes)
1.1 - Roll call
1.2 - Updates to Statements of Interest
1.3 - Review/amend agenda.
1.4  - Note the status of minutes for the previous Council meetings per the 
GNSO Operating Procedures:

Draft minutes of the meeting of the GNSO Council on 18 February 2016 will be 
posted as approved on 6 March 2016.

Item 2: Opening Remarks (5 minutes)
2.1 - Overview of purpose of meeting (James Bladel)
Item 3: DISCUSSION - Final Report and Recommendations from the Cross-Community 
Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability
In the course of discussions over the IANA stewardship transition, the 
community had raised concerns about ICANN's accountability, given ICANN's 
historical contractual relationship with the United States government. The 
community discussions indicated that existing ICANN accountability mechanisms 
do not yet meet some stakeholders' expectations. As the US government (through 
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)) has 
stressed that it expects community consensus on the transition, this gap 
between the current situation and stakeholder expectations needed to be 
addressed. This resulted in the 
creation<http://gnso.icann.org/en/drafts/enhancing-accountability-charter-03nov14-en.pdf>
 of a Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability 
(CCWG-Accountability<https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg>) of which the GNSO 
is a chartering organization.

In May 2015, the CCWG-Accountability published an initial proposal regarding 
its work on Work Stream 1 (meant to align with the timing of the IANA 
stewardship transition) for public comment. In August 2015, the 
CCWG-Accountability 
published<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ccwg-accountability-2015-08-03-en>
 its Second Draft Proposal for public comment. Following further community 
input, including from the ICANN Board, the CCWG-Accountability 
published<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/draft-ccwg-accountability-proposal-2015-11-30-en>
 a Third Draft Proposal for public comment on 30 November 2015.
Concurrently, the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) - the 
community group formed to consolidate the various proposals relating to the 
IANA stewardship transition submitted by the Internet communities affected by 
the issue - had 
announced<https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-10-29-en> after ICANN54 
that it had completed its task. However, before the ICG can send its 
consolidated proposal to the NTIA via the ICANN Board, it needed to confirm 
with the Cross Community Working Group to Develop an IANA Stewardship 
Transition Proposal on Naming Related Functions 
(CWG-Stewardship<https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocwgdtstwrdshp/CWG+to+Develop+an+IANA+Stewardship+Transition+Proposal+on+Naming+Related+Functions>)
 that its accountability requirements have been met by the Work Stream 1 
recommendations from the CCWG-Accountability. The CWG-Stewardship had submitted 
a public comment to the CCWG-Accountability which noted that several of the 
CCWG-Accountability's draft recommendations adequately satisfied the 
CWG-Stewardship's requirements, but further work was merited on a number of 
other points.
Following a Special Meeting on 14 January 2016, the GNSO Council had approved a 
letter<http://gnso.icann.org/en/correspondence/gnso-council-to-ccwg-accountability-22jan16-en.pdf>
 setting out its response to the recommendations in the Third Draft Proposal. 
This was sent to the CCWG-Accountability on 22 January. In response to the 
SO/AC and community input to its Third Draft Proposal, the CCWG-Accountability 
reworked some of its draft recommendations, resulting in a Final Supplemental 
Proposal that was sent to all its Chartering Organizations on 23 February (see 
https://www.icann.org/news/blog/ccwg-accountability-delivers-report-to-chartering-organization).
The Supplemental Final Proposal on Work Stream 1 
Recommendations<https://community.icann.org/x/8w2AAw> has the consensus support 
of the CCWG-Accountability with five minority statements (submitted as of 19 
February) from members recorded for Chartering Organization consideration (see 
Appendix A of the Final Proposal). Members have a last opportunity to revise, 
retract or add minority statements based on the final compromise reached within 
the CCWG-Accountability, and a revised Appendix A is expected to be circulated 
on 25 February.
Here the Council will discuss initial feedback to the Supplemental Final 
Proposal from its Stakeholder Groups and Constituencies (including any 
remaining concerns that may have been identified by any group) and any further 
necessary actions that need to be taken prior to GNSO's formal consideration of 
the CCWG-Accountability's final recommendations. The Council vote is scheduled 
to take place at ICANN55, in time for the CCWG-Accountability to send its Final 
Supplemental Proposal on Work Stream 1 Recommendations to the ICANN Board so as 
to meet the NTIA timeline.
3.1 - Update from Thomas Rickert
3.2 - Comments from GNSO members & participants to the CCWG
3.3 - Updates from Council members on work occurring in SG/Cs
3.4 - Open discussion
3.5 - Next steps and preparation for Council vote in Marrakech


Item 4: Any Other Business (5 Minutes)

_________________________________
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:
a. Create an Issues Report: requires an affirmative vote of more than 
one-fourth (1/4) vote of each House or majority of one House.
b. Initiate a Policy Development Process ("PDP") Within Scope (as described in 
Annex A<http://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws#AnnexA>): requires an 
affirmative vote of more than one-third (1/3) of each House or more than 
two-thirds (2/3) of one House.
c. Initiate a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of GNSO 
Supermajority.
d. 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.
e. Approve a PDP Team Charter for a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an 
affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority.
f. 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.
g. 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.
h. 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.
i. Approve a PDP Recommendation With a GNSO Supermajority: requires an 
affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority,
j. 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.
k. 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.
l. 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<http://gnso.icann.org/council/gnso-operating-procedures-22sep11-en.pdf>)
4.4.1 Applicability
Absentee voting is permitted for the following limited number of Council 
motions or measures.
a. Initiate a Policy Development Process (PDP);
b. Approve a PDP recommendation;
c. Recommend amendments to the GNSO Operating Procedures (GOP) or ICANN Bylaws;
d. 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.)

Reference (Coordinated Universal Time) UTC 21:00
Local time between October and March Winter in the NORTHERN hemisphere
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California, USA 
(PDT<http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/na/pst.html>) 
UTC-7+1DST 13:00
San José, Costa Rica UTC-6+0DST  15:00
Iowa City, USA (CDT<http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC%E2%88%9206:00>) UTC-6+0DST 
15:00
New York/Washington DC, USA (EST) UTC-5+0DST 16:00
Buenos Aires, Argentina 
(ART<http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/sa/art.html>) 
UTC-3+0DST 18:00
Rio de Janiero, Brazil (BRST) UTC-2+0DST 19:00
London, United Kingdom (BST) UTC+0DST 21:00
Bonn, Germany (CET) UTC+1+0DST 22:00
Cairo, Egypt, (EET) UTC+2+0DST 23:00
Istanbul, Turkey (EEST) UTC+3+0DST 23:00
Perth, Australia 
(WST<http://timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/au/wst.html>) 
UTC+8+1DST 05:00 next day
Singapore (SGT) UTC +8  05:00 next day
Sydney/Hobart, Australia (AEDT) UTC+11+0DST 08:00 next day
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DST starts/ends on last Sunday of October 2016, 2:00 or 3:00 local time (with 
exceptions)
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For other places see http://www.timeanddate.com<http://www.timeanddate.com/>
http://tinyurl.com/hj3pug7

List of invitees:

·        Becky Burr

·        Farzaneh Badii

·        Steve DelBianco

·        Robin Gross

·        Thomas Rickert

·        Brett Schaefer

·        Greg Shatan

·        Brett Schaefer

·        Jeff Neuman

·        Malcom Hutty

·        James Gannon

·        Jonathan Zuck

·        Milton Mueller

·        Avri Doria