23 July 2015 at 11:00 UTC
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.
Coordinated Universal Time: 11:00 UTC
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04:00 Los Angeles; 07:00 Washington; 12:00 London; 13:00 Brussels; 19:00 Perth
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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 meeting per the GNSO Operating Procedures:
Minutes of the GNSO Council meeting of 11 February, 19 March, 16 April, 21 May 2015 posted as approved on 28 June 2015.
Item 2: Opening Remarks / Review of Projects & Action List (15 minutes)
2.1 – Review focus areas and provide updates on specific key themes / topics, to include review of Projects List and Action List
2.2 – Comments or questions arising
Item 3: Consent agenda (0 minutes)
Item 4: COUNCIL VOTE - Motion to Approve GNSO Review of GAC Communiqué from Buenos Aires (15 minutes)
The GNSO had previously discussed appropriate mechanisms to provide feedback to the ICANN Board on specific issues in GAC Communiqué that relate to gTLDs, to inform the Board and the broader community of past, present or future gTLD policy activities that may directly or indirectly relate to advice provided by the GAC. A template was developed to facilitate this process, which was completed following the publication of the Buenos Aires GAC Communiqué, by GNSO Council volunteers. Input provided through this process is intended to enhance co-ordination and information sharing on gTLD related policy activities between the GAC, Board and the GNSO. Here the Council will vote on whether to adopt the completed draft template relating to the Buenos Aires GAC Communiqué.
4.1 – Presentation of the motion (Volker Greimann)
4.2 – Discussion
4.3 – Vote (voting threshold – simple majority)
Item 5: UPDATE & DISCUSSION – Purpose of New gTLD Registration Data Policy Development Process (PDP) (20 minutes)
The GNSO Council and community had previously provided feedback to the Board-GNSO process group that was formed to develop a proposed approach for dealing with this Board-mandated PDP associated with, the work of the Expert Working Group's (EWG) Final Report, published in June 2014. Prior to the EWG's Final Report, a Preliminary Issue Report had been published in 2013 for public comment, with the Final Issue Report anticipated for publication only after the EWG had completed its work. The Board-GNSO process group's amended framework has been submitted to the GNSO Council and the Board, which has since reconfirmed its request for an Issue Report on the topic. Here the Council will receive an update on the status of the Issue Report, and discuss timelines and next steps.
5.1 – Update (Marika Konings)
5.2 – Discussion
5.3 – Next steps
Item 6: UPDATE & DISCUSSION - Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability – CCWG Accountability (15 minutes)
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. Considering that the US Government (through the 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 of a Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (CCWG-Accountability) of which the GNSO is a chartering organization.
The CCWG-Accountability published some initial proposals surrounding its first Work Stream (meant to align with the timing of the IANA stewardship transition) for public comment in May 2015. All public comments received are being reviewed by the CCWG, which will conduct a face-to-face meeting on 17 & 18 July. Here the Council will review the CCWG's status and progress, and discuss any specific issues that need to be addressed in view of the timeline of the CCWG and the transition.
6.1 – Summary and status update (Thomas Rickert)
6.2 - Discussion
6.3 – Next steps
Item 7: UPDATE & DISCUSSION – Proposed Cross Community Working Group On New gTLD Auction Proceeds (15 minutes)
Previous outreach by the GNSO to other ICANN Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees had indicated that there is substantial community interest in forming a Cross Community Working Group to address the topic of dealing with the proceeds from auctions in the 2012 round of the New gTLD Program. Following further community discussions at ICANN53, it was decided that a Discussion Paper would be helpful to scope out the various issues of community interest. Here the Council will receive an update on the status of work on this proposed project and discuss next steps.
7.1 – Update (Jonathan Robinson / Marika Konings)
7.2 – Discussion
7.3 – Next steps
Item 8: COUNCIL ACTION – GNSO Chair Election Timetable (10 minutes)
At ICANN53, the GNSO Council discussed succession planning and the upcoming elections for the Council leadership positions that will become vacant at the ICANN Annual Meeting in Dublin. Staff has prepared and circulated a proposed timeline for the elections, based on previous election proceedings. Here the Council will continue its discussion on succession planning, and decide on the proposed timeline.
8.1 – Discussion (Jonathan Robinson)
8.2 – Council decision
8.3 – Next steps
Item 9: Any Other Business (15 minutes)
9.1 - Staff request for time extension in preparing the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Preliminary Issue Report.
9.2 – Discuss appointment of three experts from the GNSO to join new Working Group to review IDN Guidelines: https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-07-20-en (due 3 August 2015)
9.3 – Selection of a PDP Working Group for facilitated face-to-face meeting at ICANN54. Part of the continued GNSO Council Pilot Project to improve PDP effectiveness.
9.4 – Discuss possible Council action regarding IETF proposed standard for .onion as a Special Use Domain Name: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-dnsop-onion-tld/ (due 11 August 2015)
9.5 – Planning for ICANN54
9.6 – Other topics
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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