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Post ICANN59 Meeting Report – GNSO

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Decisions and Outcomes

At ICANN59, the GNSO organized 40 sessions. GNSO Working Groups held a series of meetings to make progress on policy development processes (PDPs) related to generic top-level domains (gTLDs), including New gTLD Subsequent Procedures, Next Generation Registration Directory Services (RDS) to Replace WHOIS, and a Review of All Rights Protection Mechanisms for gTLDs.

In addition, the GNSO hosted several cross-community discussions to inform policy development activities, including sessions on the use of geographic names at the top-level and on key concepts related to the purposes of gTLD registration data and directory services, data elements required by those purposes, related data protection and privacy requirements, and access requirements.

During the GNSO Council open meeting, the Council confirmed the leadership team of the GNSO Standing Selection Committee (SSC). The GNSO Council requested that the SSC be established to select candidates for ICANN structures, such as review teams and those related to the Empowered Community. The Council also approved the process and criteria that the SSC developed for selecting the GNSO representative to the Empowered Community Administration.

The Council discussed the status and next steps related to two Cross-Community Working Groups (CCWGs) of which the Council is a chartering organization, namely, the CCWG on Use of Country and Territory Names and the CCWG on Internet Governance. It also received an update on the initiation of the GNSO's Section 16 process for amending approved GNSO policy recommendations relating to certain Red Cross Movement names as well as an update on the status of the Second Security, Stability and Resiliency of the Domain Name System Review Team (SSR2-RT) and the Registration Directory Services Review Team (RDS-RT).

What Else Happened?

The GNSO held joint sessions with the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) and the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). The joint session with the ccNSO focused on status updates and next steps regarding CCWGs co-chartered by the two Supporting Organizations. The discussion also covered Empowered Community Administration processes, procedures, and timelines; next steps in relation to the review of the Customer Standing Committee charter; and planning for the FY19 Public Technical Identifiers (PTI) budget.

The GNSO joint session with the GAC covered several topics, including developments related to the Red Cross/Red Crescent and International Governmental Organizations, GAC engagement on current GNSO PDPs, and the GNSO review of the GAC Copenhagen Communiqué.

The Council held a working session to connect with the leadership teams of GNSO Working Groups and receive updates on relevant topics and activities in other parts of the organization, including the Key Signing Key (KSK) Rollover, the PTI FY19 budget, and global stakeholder engagement.

For the first time at a Policy Forum, the GNSO held outreach sessions each morning of the Johannesburg meeting. At the beginning of each day, the GNSO Policy Support team provided a briefing to help attendees prepare for the GNSO topics that were on the agenda for that specific day. The sessions were open to everyone and received positive feedback from participants.

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, the GNSO Council, GNSO Working Groups, and Cross-Community Working Groups will return to their regular meeting schedules.

A number of activities related to the Empowered Community are also expected to take place. ICANN59 saw the first Community Forum convened under the revised ICANN Bylaws. In the Community Forum, the community gathered to discuss a proposal to amend one of the Fundamental Bylaws. Now, the GNSO and the other Decisional Participants in the Empowered Community will consider whether they support the proposal. The Council is expected to vote on this issue during its upcoming July meeting. Furthermore, with notice that the ICANN Board approved the FY18 Operating Plan and Budget, the Empowered Community has the power to approve or, if it chooses, to reject these documents before they go into effect. There is now a 21-day period for any Decisional Participant to raise a petition to reject the documents, followed by a 7-day period to obtain support for that petition.

In addition, revised GNSO Operating Procedures have been published for public comment, including new processes and procedures to facilitate the GNSO in taking on its role as a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community. Comments may be submitted until 10 August 2017. After the closing of the public comment period, the GNSO Council will review the comments received and decide on next steps.

Planning for ICANN60 is already underway. Community leaders and ICANN organization representatives are working together to prepare for an engaging and productive annual meeting in Abu Dhabi later this year.

Resource Materials

Listen to recordings from GNSO sessions held at ICANN59 and read more about the work of the GNSO: