[council] Public Comments: Final Report Recommendations of the Geographic Regions Review Working Group

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en
Final Report Recommendations of the Geographic Regions Review Working Group
Follow 
Updates<https://www.icann.org/users/sign_up?document_id=13559&following=true>

Open Date:23 Dec 2015 23:59 UTC

Close Date:24 Apr 2016 23:59 UTC

Staff Report Due:9 May 2016 23:59 UTC

Comments close in 103 Days

Contents

  *   Brief 
Overview<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#brief>
     *   Submit Comment to Forum<mailto:geo-regions-23dec15@xxxxxxxxx> : 
geo-regions-23dec15@xxxxxxxxx
     *   Comments Forum<http://forum.icann.org/lists/geo-regions-23dec15> : 
http://forum.icann.org/lists/geo-regions-23dec15/
  *   Section I: Description, Explanation & 
Purpose<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#section1>
  *   Section II: 
Background<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#section2>
  *   Section III: Relevant 
Resources<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#section3>
  *   Section IV: Additional 
Information<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#section4>
  *   Section V: 
Reports<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#section5>
  *   Staff 
Contact<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/geo-regions-2015-12-23-en#staff_contact>

Brief Overview

Purpose: The cross-community Geographic Regions Review Working Group has 
produced its Final Report in which it proposes a series of recommendations 
regarding the ongoing application of the organization's geographic regions 
framework. The ICANN Board is interested in further community reaction to those 
recommendations and has instructed the Staff to open and manage a public 
comment period of at least 120 days to give the community an opportunity to 
thoroughly review the proposals and provide any additional comments on the 
working group recommendations.

Current Status: Community feedback is requested concerning the Working Group 
recommendations.

Next Steps: Upon completion of the public comment period, staff will summarize 
and forward any community input to the ICANN Board of Directors.

Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose

The cross-community Geographic Regions Review Working Group has produced its 
Final Report in which it proposes a series of recommendations regarding the 
ongoing application of the organization's geographic regions framework. The 
ICANN Board is interested in further community reaction to those 
recommendations and has instructed the Staff to open and manage a public 
comment period of at least 120 days to give the community an opportunity to 
thoroughly review the proposals and provide any additional comments on the 
working group recommendations.

The Working Group's Final Report provides an extensive series of conclusions, 
proposals and recommendations including:

  1.  The Working Group concludes that the general principle of geographic 
diversity is valuable and should be preserved.
  2.  Application of the geographic diversity principles must be more rigorous, 
clear and consistent.
  3.  Adjusting the number of ICANN geographic regions is not currently 
practical.
  4.  No other International Regional Structures offer useful options for ICANN.
  5.  ICANN must formally adopt and maintain its own unique Geographic Regions 
Framework.
  6.  The Community wants to minimize any changes to the current structure.
  7.  ICANN must acknowledge the sovereignty and right of self-determination of 
states to let them choose their region of allocation.
  8.  ICANN communities have flexibly applied geographic diversity principles 
over the years. While the Board should remain strictly subject to the current 
framework, flexibility should be preserved for other structures.
  9.  "Special Interest Groups" or "Cross-Regional Sub-Groups" offer new 
diversity opportunities.
  10. Implementation mechanisms and processes must be developed by Staff; and
  11. The Board must preserve its oversight and future review opportunities.

The comment period will give individuals and community groups an opportunity to 
thoroughly review the proposals and provide any additional comments on the 
working group recommendations.

Section II: Background

The ICANN Board chartered a cross-community working group to (1) identify the 
different purposes for which ICANN's Geographic Regions are used; (2) determine 
whether the uses of ICANN's Geographic Regions (as currently defined, or at 
all) continue to meet the requirements of the relevant stakeholders; and (3) 
submit proposals for community and Board consideration relating to the current 
and future uses and definition of the ICANN Geographic Regions.

Over the course of its deliberations, the Working Group (1) reviewed the 
underlying history, objectives and general principles of ICANN's Geographic 
Regions Framework, (2) identified the various applications and functions to 
which the regions framework has been applied by existing structures and the 
ICANN staff; and (3) engaged the ICANN community in an extensive collaborative 
dialogue about issues and potential solutions to maintain and potentially 
expand the value of the geographic regions framework for the entire community.

The Working Group concluded its work and presented its Final Report 
recommendations to the Chair of the ICANN Board on 4 November 2015. The Working 
Group recommended that the Board direct staff to manage a public comment forum 
period to give the community an opportunity to review and evaluate the 
recommendations and share comments with the Board before it begins its 
assessment of and deliberations on the recommendations. The Board agreed.

Section III: Relevant Resources

Final Report by the Geographic Regions Review Working 
Group<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-en.pdf>
 [EN] [PDF, 409 KB]
https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-en.pdf

[AR<https://www.icann.org/ar/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-ar.pdf>] 
[PDF, 283 KB]

[ES<https://www.icann.org/es/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-es.pdf>] 
[PDF, 377 KB]

[FR<https://www.icann.org/fr/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-fr.pdf>] 
[PDF, 331 KB]

[PT<https://www.icann.org/pt/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-pt.pdf>] 
[PDF, 313 KB]

[RU<https://www.icann.org/ru/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-ru.pdf>] 
[PDF, 323 KB]

[ZH<https://www.icann.org/zh/system/files/files/geo-regions-wg-31oct15-zh.pdf>] 
[PDF, 763 KB]

Staff Contact
Robert Hoggarth
robert.hoggarth@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:robert.hoggarth@xxxxxxxxx>

Kind regards,
Glen

Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
http://gnso.icann.org<http://gnso.icann.org/>