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ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 10, Issue 7 — July 2010

PDF Version [292 KB]

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/policy/

CONTENTS:

Across ICANN

  1. This Month’s Policy Podcast
  2. Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
  3. Forum Highlights European Responses to DNS Abuse

ccNSO

  1. ccNSO Welcomes Somalia as 107th Member
  2. Delegation/Redelegation WG Offers Double Dose of Papers
  3. With Mission Completed, Wildcard Study Group Ends
  4. Working Group to Review ccTLD Financial Contributions to ICANN
  5. ITEMS Publishes Their Review of the ccNSO
  6. Strategy Group Renews Discussion of ccNSO Priorities
  7. Survey Sets Up Continuous Improvement for ccNSO Meetings
  8. New Tools Make ccNSO Activities and Personalities Easier to Track
  9. Other Issues Active in the ccNSO

GNSO

  1. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy WG Seeks Comments on Initial Report
  2. Registration Abuse Policies WG Final Report Presented to GNSO Council
  3. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery WG Opens Public Comment Forum
  4. GNSO Work Prioritization: Council Approves First Project Value Ratings
  5. GNSO Improvements: Brussels Meeting Outcome
  6. Other Issues Active in the GNSO

ASO

  1. Issues Active in the ASO

Joint Efforts

  1. Improvements to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement Debated in Brussels
  2. Geo Regions Review WG Presents in Brussels
  3. Other Joint Efforts

At-Large

  1. Bylaws Must Change for At-Large Voter to Join the Board
  2. APRALO and EURALO Select New Officers
  3. At-Large Participates Actively in the 38th ICANN Meeting

SSAC

  1. SSAC Activities in Brussels, Belgium

Read in Your Preferred Language

ICANN Policy Update is available in all six official languages of the United Nations. Policy Update is posted on ICANN’s website and available via online subscription. To receive the Update in your Inbox each month, visit the ICANN subscriptions page, enter your e-mail address, and select “Policy Update” to subscribe. This service is free of charge.

ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose

Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policy-staff@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

1. This Month’s Policy Podcast

PEDNR

If you forget to renew your domain name and it expires, can you get it back? Were you properly notified that it would expire? Marika Konings, Policy Director, discusses Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery. And listen for the new exit music by Mike O’Connor.

Watch for a new episode of ICANN Start on the first of each calendar month. Each audio episode focuses on one issue and, through interviews with an expert, provides answers to foundational questions.

You’ll find the podcast on the ICANN web site, which also provides a written transcript of each episode. Many of Apple’s global iTunes stores carry the show; to check for it, search in the podcast section of iTunes for “ICANN Start.”


2. Issues Currently Open for Public Comment

Numerous public comment periods are open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now for the opportunity to share your views on such topics as:

  • New gTLD Program Draft Applicant Guidebook, Version 4. The Guidebook describes the process of applying for new generic top-level domains (New gTLDs). Version 4 is available in its entirety as well as in six individual modules. You can either comment on the overall guidebook or comment per module, by area of interest. Comment by 21 July.
  • New gTLD Program Budget. To ensure costs are appropriately managed, tracked and disclosed, the gTLD budget has been organized according to three phases; 1) development, 2) deployment, and 3) application processing. See if you think the definition, timing, and key activities of each phase are appropriate. Comment by 21 July.
  • Joint SO/AC Working Group on New gTLD Applicant Support Snapshot. Working together, ICANN’s Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees are trying to develop a sustainable approach for providing support to those who require financial assistance in applying for and operating new gTLDs. Comment by 21 July.
  • Draft Program Development Snapshot # 2 – High Security Zone Top-Level Domain Advisory Group. This document works towards development of a voluntary program and supporting control standards that could be adopted to provide an enhanced level of trust and security in domains that adhere to the standards. Comment by 21 July.
  • An Economic Framework for the Analysis of the Expansion of Generic Top-Level Domains. ICANN commissioned Greg Rosston from Stanford University and Michael Katz from the University of California Berkeley to: (1) survey published studies and resources that describe the potential impacts of new gTLD introduction; (2) examine theoretical arguments about benefits and costs of increased gTLDs; (3) and consider and propose new empirical studies that could help assess costs and benefits. Comment on their report by 21 July.
  • Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (Part B) Initial Report. The IRTP Part B WG seeks your input on the preliminary conclusions and recommendations put forward in this report, including a proposed Expedited Transfer Reverse Policy. Comment by 25 July.
  • Transparency and Accountability Wiki Project – ICANN Board Resolutions – Draft – 2009. With the goal of providing the public with easily accessed information on every substantive resolution approved by ICANN's Board, ICANN Staff has created sample searchable wiki pages. In order to get public feedback as the basis for further improvements, all the Board’s 2009 resolutions have been loaded on the wiki. Do you like this wiki format? Have we chosen the right search categories? Is all the basic information provided in an easy-to-understand way? Weigh in by 26 July.
  • Initial Report on Proposals for Improvements to the RAA. The Initial Report describes the recommendations from the joint GNSO/ALAC RAA Drafting Team regarding (i) the proposed form of a Registrant Rights and Responsibilities Charter, and (ii) potential topics for additional amendments to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement. Comment time has been extended to 30 July.
  • ccNSO Review -- External Reviewers’ Final Report. On 15 June 2010, ITEMS International, the independent consultants selected to carry out the external review of ccNSO, released their final report [PDF, 5.04 MB], presenting their conclusions and recommendations. Comment by 30 July.
  • The New GNSO Policy Development Process: PDP Work Team Initial Report. As part of GNSO Improvements, the Policy Development Process (PDP) Work Team (WT) has developed recommendations for a new GNSO policy development process. Who has the right to introduce a new issue into the PDP? What are the possible outcomes of a PDP? Deadline for comments extended to 1 August.
  • Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery (PEDNR) Initial Report. The PEDNR WG was tasked to address questions relating to what extent registrants should be able to renew their domain names after they expire. At issue is whether the current policies of registrars on the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names are adequate. Comment by 1 August.
  • ccNSO Working Group Paper on Delegation, Redelegation, and Retirement of ccTLDs. A ccNSO Working Group has suggested a new methodology for assigning what entities get to manage country code Top-Level Domains. Comments requested by 15 September.

For the full list of issues open for public comment, plus recently closed and archived public comment forums, visit the Public Comment page.


3. Forum Highlights European Responses to DNS Abuse

At a Glance

In June, the Forum on DNS Abuse enabled private and public sector speakers to collaborate on possible solutions to the growing threat of cyber-crime and online malicious conduct.

Recent Developments

At the June meeting in Brussels, ICANN held its fifth Forum on DNS Abuse, where different stakeholders affected by DNS Abuse shared information and ideas for responding to such abuse.

Representatives from UK organization Spamhaus described its Domain Block List project, designed to combat spam. Representatives from .EU shared their successful efforts to protect consumers from phishing involving domains registered in their registry. Other panelists suggested the establishment of codes of conduct as a means of enhancing the Community’s response to DNS Abuse.

A focal point of the Forum involved the remarks of Dr. Michael Busch, from the European Commission Information Society and Media Directorate General. Dr. Busch opened the Forum by describing the EU’s Safer Internet Program. In his comments, he shared statistics regarding insidious domain abuse targeting child abuse and pornography, and called for ICANN to consider establishing a joint task force with the EU Commission and law enforcement agencies to collaborate on possible solutions for malicious use of the DNS.

While the debate regarding ICANN’s ability to affect DNS abuse continues, the Forum successfully concluded with a desire among the participants for continued collaboration and information sharing among those in the ICANN community actively attacking new forms of malicious conduct and e-crime involving the DNS.

More Information

Staff Contact

Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


ccNSO

4. ccNSO Welcomes Somalia as 107th Member

At a Glance

The ccTLD operator of .so (Somalia), the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, joined the country code Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO) in June.

Background

The ccNSO Council’s approval of Somalia as a new member sustains the ccNSO’s 2010 growth rate of averaging one new member per month. Others joining in 2010 have included Papua New Guinea (.pg), Belize (.bz), Malaysia (.my), Colombia (.co), Luxembourg (.lu) and Poland (.pl).

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


5. Delegation/Redelegation WG Offers Double Dose of Papers

At a Glance

Redelegation refers to the process of changing the designated manager(s) of a country code top-level domain (ccTLD). The standards for doing so have been the same since 1999, so a ccNSO Working Group is examining whether new policies should address any issues regarding how country codes are delegated, re-delegated, and retired.

Recent Developments

The Delegation, Redelegation and Retirement Working Group (DRD WG) published two documents on 14 June: a draft analysis report, and a second progress report. Both are available for public comment and discussion.

The DRD WG published these reports both to inform the community, and to solicit public input on the classification methodology they developed. They also seek community comments on the identified policy issues relating to the delegation, redelegation and retirement of ccTLDs.

The ccTLD community at the ICANN Brussels meeting discussed the reports extensively, particularly at the joint GAC-ccNSO meeting.

Next Steps

The Public Comment period regarding the reports runs through 15 September 2010. The Working Group will continue its work during that time. After closure of the comment period, the working group will finalize their report, taking into account the public comments.

Background

Currently, the ICANN policy and practices for delegation and redelegation are reflected in established IANA processes. (For more information about establishing new ccTLDs, see IANA's Procedures for Establishing ccTLDs and IANA’s delegation reports.) In light of the changed Internet environment since RFC 1591 was published in the 1990s, the ccNSO felt it was time to review their policies. The ccNSO wants a better understanding of any issues relating to the current policies, before taking possible further steps.

More Information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor, ccNSO


6. With Mission Completed, Wildcard Study Group Ends

At a Glance

The ICANN Board has asked country code top level domain (ccTLD) managers to avoid the use of “wildcarding,” also known as redirection at the top level of the Domain Name Service. However, some ccTLD operators view the practice as essential. The ccNSO Council appointed a Working Group to make sure all points of view have been fully heard and evaluated.

Recent Developments

The ccNSO Wildcard Study Group submitted its final report to the ccNSO Council at the ICANN Brussels meeting. In the report, the group recommends that fuller, more “frank dialogue on the use of redirection by ccTLDs should be fostered.” The group also found that by RFC 1034’s definition of “wildcarding,” some ccTLDs portrayed as wildcarders are not; and some ccTLDs that do not appear on the wildcarder list are, indeed, wildcarding. The group calls for more clear delineation of what behaviors SSAC recommended prohibiting. Some behaviors considered as redirection or synthesized responses are more harmful than others, and the group recommended that “ the Council consider determining which harms or behaviors are more harmful than others.”

The Council thanked the Study Group for its work, and the group closed .

Next Steps

The ccNSO Council will read through the Study Group’s findings, discuss the report’s three recommendations, and then reply to the Study Group.

Background

In June 2009, the ICANN Board asked the ccNSO to provide a report on mechanisms that could be employed to ensure that redirection at the top level is prohibited (this followed an SSAC report, concluding that wildcarding poses a significant danger to the security and stability of the DNS). The ccNSO held a session on wildcarding which established that most ccTLDs do not use wildcarding. However, a few ccTLDs viewed the practice as essential, and the ccNSO realized they needed more information to understand both the issue and why some ccTLDs need to use wildcards. The Study Group was then formed to provide the ccTLD and ccNSO Council a comprehensive overview of the issues associated with wildcarding at the top level.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


7. Working Group to Review ccTLD Financial Contributions to ICANN

At a Glance

In March, the ccNSO Council committed to start dialogue on the financial contributions that ccTLDs provide to ICANN’s cost of operations. In June, they took the next step.

Recent Developments

During June’s meeting in Brussels, the ccNSO Council resolved to set up a working group to review and discuss with the ccTLD community their current model of financial contribution to ICANN.

Next Steps

The ccNSO Council will develop a charter for the working group. After its adoption, the Council will ask volunteers from the ccTLD community to participate in the working group.

Background

At the ICANN meeting in Nairobi, the ccNSO Council noted the gap between current ccTLD contributions to ICANN and the sum attributable to ccTLDs in the recent ICANN expense analysis. The Council also noted that ccTLD contributions to ICANN have risen by almost 150% over time. As a starting point, the Council reaffirmed the current ICANN ccTLD contribution guidelines, developed by the ccNSO in 2006.

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, ccNSO Senior Policy Advisor


8. ITEMS Publishes Their Review of the ccNSO

At a Glance

ITEMS International, commissioned as independent reviewers of the ccNSO, posted their final report on 15 June.

Next Steps

The ITEMS report presents an overall positive perception of the ccNSO, but also includes 12 recommendations for improvement. Everyone is invited to comment on the report. The public comment period closes on 30 July 2010.

Background

According to the ICANN Bylaws, each Supporting Organization will be reviewed periodically. The purpose of the ccNSO review is to determine whether the ccNSO is fulfilling its purpose in the ICANN structure; and if so, whether any change in its structure or operations would improve its effectiveness and cause more of the wider ccTLD community to join the ccNSO.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


9. Strategy Group Renews Discussion of ccTLD Priorities

At a Glance

In Brussels, the ccNSO community renewed their ongoing talks about what issues are strategically and globally important to country code operators.

Recent Developments

At the June meeting in Brussels, the ccNSO held a panel discussion to identify issues and developments which may be of strategic importance to the ccTLD community. The five-member panel consisted of three members from the ccTLD community and a representative from the gTLD registrar and gTLD registry community. (Each spoke in their personal capacity, not as representatives of a company, country, or sector.) The ccNSO members present received the session very well, and in post-meeting evaluation forms ranked it as the most popular session.

Next Steps

Based on the output from the panel and the lively public discussion, the Strategic and Operational Planning Working Group (SOP WG) will conduct a survey to identify what the ccTLD community perceives as the strategic focus point and the highest priorities for the ccNSO and ICANN.

Background

The SOP WG has been established to facilitate and increase the participation of the ccTLD community in ICANN’s Strategic and Operational Planning processes. In March, they completed a review and assessment of ICANN’s operational framework for fiscal year 2011. In 2009, they also discussed strategies and priorities, culminating in a report published in October. The exercise begun in Brussels is likely to yield a similar report later this year.

More Information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, ccNSO Senior Policy Advisor


10. Survey Sets Up Continuous Improvement for ccNSO Meetings

At a Glance

A survey conducted after the ccNSO meeting in Brussels indicates the meeting is successful, but there’s room for improvements.

Recent Developments

The ccNSO routinely conducts a survey on the quality of its sessions held during Day 1 and 2 of each international ICANN meeting. The results are now posted, showing that the participants are happy with the meetings in general, but that several improvements are still possible. According to the poll, one of the most popular sessions was the Strategic Planning panel discussion.

Next Steps

The Meetings Programme Working Group will analyze the outcome and try to implement the suggestions for improvement, in time for the next meeting to be held in December in Cartagena.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


11. New Tools Make ccNSO Activities and Personalities Easier to Track

At a Glance

The ccNSO continues adding online tools that help visitors track events, activities, and announcements. It’s getting easier to match faces with names, too, as members add YouTube videos.

Recent Developments

The ccNSO has started to report their activities in a monthly summary, available both as an email and a webpage. The summary provides a quick overview of what has happened during the last month, and includes all relevant links for gaining more in-depth knowledge. The idea is to give the ccTLD community a concise, convenient way to get an overview of recent activities and developments.

Meanwhile, more ccNSO members have accepted the Secretariat’s standing invitation to add introductory videos to the ccNSO’s YouTube channel. New contributions include an update of .au, an overview of a marketing survey that was done for .za, and a Brussels meetings summary by the ccNSO Secretariat.

The new monthly summary and the ongoing YouTube updates contribute to a more informed, richer community experience for ccNSO members.

Next Steps

An updated summary will be published at the end of each calendar month. For the videos, all ccTLDs are invited to subscribe to the ccNSO YouTube channel and to submit ccTLD-relevant material.

Background

By definition, country code domain managers are geographically dispersed. The ccNSO YouTube channel launched in February 2010 with the intention of bringing the community closer to each other between meetings and to enable a more personalized atmosphere.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


12. Other Issues Active in the ccNSO


GNSO

13. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy WG Seeks Comments on Initial Report

At a Glance

The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. The GNSO is reviewing and considering revisions to this policy and has established Working Groups to conduct these efforts.

Recent Developments and Next Steps

The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part B PDP Working Group published its Initial Report on 29 May. The Initial Report presents a number of preliminary conclusions and recommendations for community input, including a proposed Expedited Transfer Reverse Policy. The WG organized an information and consultation session at the ICANN Meeting in Brussels. Following that, a 20-day public comment forum opened on 5 July.

All those interested are encouraged to provide their input on the report and its preliminary conclusions / recommendations so that the WG can take these into account as it continues its work. For further information, please consult the IRTP Part B Working Group Workspace.

Background

The IRTP Part B Policy Development Process (PDP) is the second in a series of five PDPs that are slated to address areas for improvements in the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy. The Part B Working Group was tasked to address five issues focusing on issues related to domain hijacking, the urgent return of an inappropriately transferred name, and “lock status.” For further details, refer to the group’s Charter .

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director


14. Registration Abuse Policies WG Final Report Presented to GNSO Council

At a Glance

Registries and registrars seem to lack uniform approaches for dealing with domain name registration abuse, and questions persist about what actions "registration abuse" refers to. The GNSO Council has launched a Registration Abuse Policies (RAP) Working Group to examine registration abuse policies.

Recent Developments

The Registration Abuse Policies (RAP) Working Group published its Final Report on 29 May. The Report includes concrete recommendations to address domain name registration abuse in gTLDs, for consideration by the GNSO Council. It includes recommendations addressing fake renewal notices, domain kiting, and deceptive or offensive domain names. The Report also addresses:

  • Cybersquatting, recommending the initiation of a Policy Development Process to investigate the current state of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy.
  • WHOIS access problems, seeking ways to ensure that WHOIS data is accessible in an appropriately reliable, enforceable, and consistent fashion; and requesting that the ICANN Compliance Department publish data about WHOIS accessibility.
  • Malicious use of domain names, recommending the creation of best practices to help registrars and registries address the illicit use of domain names.
  • Fake renewal notices, recommending possible enforcement actions by ICANN Compliance.
  • Cross-TLD registration scams, recommending that monitoring and research be coordinated with the community
  • Uniformity of contracts, recommending the creation of an Issues Report to evaluate whether a minimum baseline of registration abuse provisions should be created for all in-scope ICANN agreements.
  • GNSO-wide practices for the collection and dissemination of best practices, and for uniformity of reporting.

The RAP WG presented its report [PDF, 1.7 MB] and recommendations to the GNSO Council at the ICANN meeting in Brussels. The GNSO Council will now consider the report and its recommendations.

Background

A short history of the RAP Working Group is available on ICANN’s website.

More Information

Staff Contacts

Marika Konings, Policy Director, and Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


15. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery WG Opens Public Comment Forum

At a Glance

To what extent should registrants be able to reclaim their domain names after they expire? At issue is whether the current policies of registrars on the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names are adequate.

Recent Developments

The GNSO Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery (PEDNR) Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Group published its Initial Report on 31 May. To kick off a period of community input on the report, the PEDNR WG organized a public information and consultation session at the ICANN meeting in Brussels.

Next Steps

On 12 July, a public comment forum opened regarding the report, and will run until 1 August. The WG encourages the ICANN community to provide input on the different questions and options outlined in the Initial Report. This will allow the widest possible input to be taken into account during the second phase of the PDP, during which the WG hopes to reach consensus on a proposed way forward for each of the charter questions.

Background

For a history of the ICANN community’s policy development activities related to Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery, please refer to the PEDNR Background page.

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director


16. GNSO Work Prioritization: Council Approves First Project Value Ratings

At a Glance

The GNSO is currently addressing more than 20 issues, and might be nearing the maximum capacity of what it can handle given a finite number of volunteers, staff members, and hours in a day. The GNSO Council decided to prioritize the workload. If resource constraints permit only some of the work to move forward at a time, which projects are high-priority, and which are lower? The Council is taking steps to decide.

Recent Developments

At its 23 June 2010 meeting, the GNSO Council approved a resolution to adopt a set of Work Prioritization Value ratings for 14 eligible projects that were reviewed and discussed during a special working session held at the Brussels, Belgium ICANN meeting.

At its 21 April 2010 meeting, the Council approved the use of a proposed new process [PDF, 136 KB] for conducting its first Work Prioritization effort and a multi-step timetable culminating in a Council group rating session at the Brussels meeting. The following table summarizes the four major steps of the timetable and the date on which each activity was completed:

Step Dates Activity
1 30 April – 20 May Staff recommend [PDF, 172 KB] and Council approve a set of Eligible Projects [PDF, 380 KB] for the first Work Prioritization effort
2 21 May – 9 June

(extended 2 days)
Individual Councilors rate each project and deliver rating to Staff for commonality analysis (18 days)
3 19 June (Brussels) Group Session (2 hours) to determine Eligible Project Value ratings (Transcript – PDF, 156 KB; MP3)
4 23 June (Brussels) Approve final ratings/priorities [PDF, 544 KB] and direct that results be published on the GNSO Website

The first draft results showed that the Council viewed the following projects as top priorities:

  1. Registry/Registrar Vertical Integration
  2. Working Group Work Team
  3. Policy Development Process Work Team

Next Steps

In subsequent meetings, the GNSO Council will continue to discuss and analyze the Work Prioritization initiative. They will identify specific procedural improvements as well as determine next steps in enabling the Council to perform its vital role as manager of the Policy Development Process. 

Background

Additional background information was provided in the Recommended New GNSO Work Prioritization Process Public Comment Forum

More Information

Staff Contact

Liz Gasster, Senior Policy Counselor


17. GNSO Improvements: Brussels Meeting Outcomes

Council, Steering Committees, Community discuss and approve key recommendations

At a Glance

Members of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) community are working to implement a comprehensive series of organizational changes designed to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of the organization. The GNSO Improvements fall into five main areas;

  • Restructuring the GNSO Council;
  • Revising the GNSO Policy Development Process (PDP);
  • Adopting a New Working Group Model for Policy Development;
  • Enhancing Constituencies; and
  • Improving Communication and Coordination with ICANN structures.

The following update relates only the most recent developments regarding implementation of the GNSO Improvements. To understand the GNSO's new structure and organization, please see the discussion and diagrams on the GNSO Improvements Information webpage.For the reasons and history motivating the improvements, see the Background page.

Recent Developments

At the ICANN meeting in Brussels, the GNSO Council and its Operations Steering Committee (OSC) approved the recommendations of several cross-constituency Work Teams, then invited the community and the public to comment on them. Additionally, during the Brussels meeting the Council and the GNSO’s Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC) discussed Work Team recommendations regarding a revised Policy Development Process (PDP) and a new working group model for policy development.

1. Restructuring the GNSO Council. At the Brussels meeting, the OSC approved further modifications to the Council’s new operational rules and procedures (including matters regarding voting abstentions and Councilor Statements of Interest). The GNSO Council agreed to post the recommendations for public comment.

2. Revising the PDP . On 31 May, the Policy Development Process (PDP) Work Team (WT) presented its Initial Report [PDF, 2.36 MB] for community input. The report includes 45 draft recommendations and a flow chart intended to serve as the basis for the new Annex A of the ICANN By-laws.

The PDP-WT hosted a public information and consultation session at the ICANN meeting in Brussels. At the same time, a public comment forum was opened, for which the deadline has been extended to 1 August. With the public comment period closed, the PDP-WT will analyze the comments received and continue its deliberations. The goal is to finalize the report and submit it to the GNSO’s Policy Process Steering Committee for review. Ultimately, WT recommendations will go to the GNSO Council for approval.

3. Adopting a New Working Group Model. The Working Group Work Team (WG WT) has developed a document, entitled “GNSO Working Group Guidelines,” which brings together two different elements of the Working Group process. The WG WT finalized its recommendations at the end of May 2010 and submitted its proposed GNSO Working Group Guidelines [PDF, 681 KB] to the Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC) for its review. The PPSC met on 20 June for a first exchange of views on the proposed GNSO Working Group Guidelines, which eventually will be submitted to the GNSO Council for its approval.

4. Improving Communications and Coordination with ICANN Structures. During the Brussels meeting, the GNSO Council approved the recommendations of the Communications Work Team that had been posted for public comment. The Council requested minor changes to reflect comments received from the ALAC. A summary and analysis of the comments is available on line.

5. Enhancing Constituencies. During the Brussels meeting, the GNSO Council agreed to post for public comment a report from the Constituencies and Stakeholder Group Work Team on consistent operational guidelines and best practices. The Work Team also is drafting recommendations on a global outreach program to encourage participation in constituencies and stakeholder groups. It hopes to have those recommendations ready for OSC review during August 2010.

Existing GNSO Constituency “Reconfirmation” Efforts to Resume. The Board for the third time extended the reconfirmation timetable for existing GNSO Constituencies until the Cartagena ICANN meeting, December 2010.

Staff Developing Community Toolkit Roll-out. At its 17 December meeting, the GNSO Council accepted the recommendations [PDF, 108 KB] of the CSGO Work Team for ICANN Staff to develop a toolkit of primarily administrative services to be made available to all GNSO Constituencies and Stakeholder Groups. The Staff had hoped to have a draft plan developed by the Brussels meeting, but now will make the plan available for community review in the next several weeks.

Participation Rules in Focus. In Brussels the GNSO Council agreed to post for public comment the Constituency and Stakeholder Group Work Team report on a framework for participation in any ICANN Constituency or Stakeholder Group and for creating a database of all Constituency and Stakeholder Group members. The Work Team’s report includes recommendations on three primary subjects:

  • Common Operating Principles for GNSO Stakeholder Groups and Constituencies;
  • Participation Guidelines for GNSO Stakeholder Groups and Constituencies; and
  • A GNSO Database of Community Members

A substantial minority report advocating a more fundamental approach accompanies the recommendations.

The CSGO-WT has also begun discussing development of a global outreach program. A sub-team met in Brussels to discuss an initial draft document.

Permanent Stakeholder Group Charter Efforts. The GNSO’s non-contract party communities continue their development of permanent Stakeholder Group charters. Current community activities and discussions indicate that those efforts are on track to conclude by the end of 2010.

Next Steps

The GNSO’s various implementation Work Teams will continue to develop recommendations for implementing the GNSO restructuring goals approved by the Board . Public comments will be reviewed and summarized by the ICANN Staff. The ICANN Board is also due to consider a review of the permanent Stakeholder Group charters it approved in July 2009.

More Information

Staff Contact

Robert Hoggarth, Senior Policy Director


18. Other Issues Active in the GNSO


ASO

19. Issues Active in the ASO


Joint Efforts

20. Improvements to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement Debated in Brussels

Community broadly supports adopting Registrant Rights and Responsibilities

At a Glance

Public comment is sought on improvements to the RAA published in the Initial Report prior to ICANN’s June meeting in Brussels.

Background

In 2009, the GNSO Council embarked on a collaborative process with the At Large Advisory Committee regarding the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA). As part of this process, a joint GNSO/ALAC drafting team was formed (known as the RAA Drafting Team) to conduct further work related to proposals for improvements to the RAA. The RAA Drafting Team reviewed proposals from the law enforcement community, the Intellectual Property Constituency, and other stakeholders, seeking to enhance the RAA.

The RAA Drafting Team has concluded the first phase of its work with the publication of an Initial Report to the GNSO Council. The Report includes a proposal for a form of a Registrant Rights and Responsibilities Charter, to assist registrants in understanding their rights and obligations pertaining to their domain name registrations. The Report also identifies potential topics for additional amendments to the RAA, as well as a proposal for next steps for the GNSO Council to consider in determining whether to recommend a new form of RAA.

Recent Developments

At the Brussels ICANN meeting, law enforcement representatives and other stakeholders debated the need for additional amendments to the RAA to protect registrants and the public from malicious conduct and cybercrime involving domain names. Recognizing the importance of these efforts, the Government Advisory Committee’s Communiqué to the ICANN Board described the sentiment held by a majority of its members that:

  • The GAC encourages the Board, the RAA Working Group and registrars to work with law enforcement agencies to address their concerns and implement necessary changes without delay.
  • Based on the deliberations in Brussels and the previous meetings, the GAC endorses the proposals from law enforcement agencies to address criminal misuse of the DNS, noting that implementation of these proposals must respect applicable law and respect all requirements concerning the processing of personal data, such as privacy, accuracy and relevance.

A public comment forum has been opened on the Initial Report, giving you the opportunity to voice your opinion on any of the proposals for improvements to the RAA described in the Initial Report. The public comment period closes on 30 July 2010.

More Information

Staff Contact

Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


21. Geo Regions Review WG Presents in Brussels

At a Glance

The Geographic Regions Review Working Group is working to evaluate whether the original goals of ICANN’s Geographic Regions framework are being met. The Working Group published its Initial Report for community review and comment last year, and is currently developing its Interim Report.

Recent Developments

In the hopes of gathering additional community input and interest in its work, the community-wide Geographic Regions Review Working Group posted its Draft Interim Report for community review prior to the ICANN Brussels meeting. ICANN Staff heard several unsolicited positive comments about the draft document during the Brussels meeting.

The WG sponsored a public forum session in Brussels. During the session, the WG Chair shared an updated presentation regarding the practical background for the WG’s effort, posing several questions that the WG is currently deliberating.

The WG re-opened its April 2010 public survey to run during the Brussels meeting through 10 July.

Next Steps

The Interim Report drafting effort will continue, post-Brussels. The Final Report that will include the working group’s recommendations (if any) is still expected late this year.

Background

The Working Group completed its Initial Report in late July 2009 and published the document in all six UN languages for community review and comment. The 35-day public comment period closed in early September 2009, but community participation in the comment forum was minimal. The group is now developing its Interim Report with increased community input.

For further background, click here.

More Information

Staff Contact

Robert Hoggarth, Senior Policy Director


22. Other Joint Efforts


At-Large

23. Bylaws Must Change for At-Large Voter to Join the Board

ALAC seeks public’s input on selection process, by-law amendments

At a Glance

In August 2009, the Board approved in principle the recommendation of the Board Review Working Group (BRWG) to add one voting director from the At-Large Community to the ICANN Board of Directors and remove the present ALAC Liaison to the ICANN Board. The approval has many procedural implications, and the ICANN community is working through them.

Recent Developments

The Board's Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) is charged with providing a set of suggested actions to address the Board’s recommendation. As part of the SIC’s work, in consultation with the Board Governance Committee, the SIC agreed that the term of the Board Director selected by the At-Large Community should coincide with the terms of the Board Directors selected by the Supporting Organizations. Doing so would allow the Nominating Committee to consider the full composition of the non-Nominating Committee-appointed Board membership when making its appointments.

The BRWG issued its final report in February 2010, and noted the expectation that "the selection process will be designed, approved and implemented in time for the new Director to be seated at the 2010 Annual General Meeting."

However, to implement the BRWG’s recommendation, ICANN Bylaws Articles VI and XI must change to recognize the new Seat 15 on the Board and to remove the ALAC Liaison position. ICANN’s General Counsel, in consultation with the SIC and the staff supporting At-Large, identified recommended Bylaws amendments necessary to allow the seating of the Director selected by the At-Large Community. At its meeting on 25 June 2010, the Board directed staff to post these recommended Bylaws amendments for public comment, so that the Board can take action on these proposed amendments no later than at its 28 October 2010 meeting.

More Information

Staff Contact

Heidi Ullrich, Director for At-Large


24. APRALO and EURALO Select New Officers

At a Glance

During the 38 th ICANN meeting in Brussels, the Asia-Pacific At-Large Regional Organization (APRALO) and European At-Large Regional Organization (EURALO) selected new leadership officers.

Recent Developments

Professor Hong Xue was selected as the interim APRALO Chair and Dr. Olivier Cr épin-LeBlond was selected as the new interim Secretary of EURALO.

Hong was elected during the APRALO extraordinary meeting held in Brussels on 22 June, and will complete the remainder of Karaitiana Taiuru’s term who resigned in May and whose term ends in March 2011. Olivier was elected during the standing monthly EURALO meeting held in Brussels and will complete Ava Greve’s term who resigned in June and whose term ends in March 2011.

Following the resignations of APRALO Chair Karaitiana Taiuru and Vice Chair Leslie Allison (who also stepped down in May), APRALO Vice Chair Fouad Bajwa acted as the interim Chair of the region. During its extraordinary meeting, APRALO resolved that Fouad should be moved from his one-year term, which ends in March 2011, to complete Leslie’s two-year term, which will end in May 2012. APRALO will also shortly call for nominations to find a replacement for Leslie Allison, who will complete the remainder of the open one-year term.

More Information

Staff Contact

At-Large Secretariat


25. At-Large Participates Actively in the 38th ICANN Meeting

At a Glance

During the 38 th ICANN Meeting that took place 20-25 June in Brussels, Belgium, 26 members from all five At-Large regions represented the At-Large Community. Among their many activities, the At-Large representatives participated in 13 formal meetings, two cross-constituency meetings, and produced a number of reports.

Recent Developments

The ALAC identified RAA compliance as a key priority and stressed the need for adequate funding. The At-Large AFRALO region worked with AfrICANN to produce a joint statement on support for the new gTLD applicants. The ALAC received the statement with its highest compliments, and encouraged other At-Large regions to review the statement in a manner that reflects their specific regional situations.

The following formal At-Large meetings took place during the 38 th ICANN Meeting in Brussels:

At-Large also played a key role in the organization and running of two cross-constituency meetings:

More Information

  • For more details on At-Large activities in Brussels, refer to the report that ALAC Chair Cheryl Langdon-Orr gave at the end of the meeting: Chair's Report for Brussels [PDF, 104 KB]

Staff Contact

ICANN At-Large Staff


SSAC

26. SSAC Activities in Brussels, Belgium

The SSAC engaged in an extensive agenda of activities at the ICANN meeting in Brussels. In the following list of activities, you can access related materials (such as presentation slides or chat room transcripts) by clicking on the links provided.

  • SSAC Open Meeting. The SSAC held a public meeting to discuss a number of ongoing activities, including a progress report on a registrant’s guide to protecting domain name registration accounts, an SSAC Work Party on orphaned name servers, an update on root scaling issues, and SSAC improvements resulting from the ICANN Board Review.
  • DNSSEC Workshop. The SSAC coordinated and participated in a comprehensive DNSSEC Workshop that included panel discussions and technical presentations. Topics included obtaining and maintaining data, such as transfers of DNSSEC domains and key rollovers performed by registries and registrars, and operational issues for ISPs and resolvers in using DNSSEC domain data and making it accessible to users. In addition there were presentations on DNSSEC tools, regional updates, and a discussion of the deployment of DNSSEC at the root and by registries.
  • Internationalized Registration Data and Inventory of WHOIS Service Requirements. The joint GNSO-SSAC Internationalized Registration Working Group presented preliminary approaches concerning support for characters from local languages in domain name registration submission and display, followed by a presentation and discussion on the WHOIS service requirements initial report.
  • Forum on Domain Name System (DNS) Abuse. This Forum included a discussion with a wide range of panelists on how abuse of the DNS affects many ICANN stakeholders.

For reports on other activities for 2010, refer to the SSAC Work Plan.

Staff Contact

Julie Hedlund, Director, SSAC Support

update-jul10-en.pdf  [291 KB]

Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."