Archived forums:

• SSAC Review Draft Terms of Reference (ends 5 Sep 08)
• Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs
  (ends 7 Sep 08)
• Independent Review of the ALAC - Final Report
  (ends 12 Sep 08)
• CAC UDRP Pilot Project
  (ends 21 Aug 08)
• Proposed ICANN Board of Director's Code of Conduct
  (ends 29 Aug 08)
• Final Report of IDNC Working Group on ccTLD Fast Track Mechanisms
  (ends 15 Aug 08)
• Draft Proposed Changes to Registrar Accreditation Agreement
  (ends 4 Aug 08)
• Operating Plan and Budget 2009
  (ends 17 Jun 08)

• .COOP and .MOBI Proposed Contract Changes to Allocate Single-Character Names
• gTLD Registry Failover Plan
• Improving Institutional Confidence
• Meetings Reform
• Draft/Interim Terminated Registrar Transition Procedure
• Draft Final ALAC Independent Review
• Proposed GNSO Top Level Implementation Plan
• Single Character Name Allocation Framework
• Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy – Denial of Transfers (Reasons #8 and #9)
• Travel Support
• Proposed Global Policy for Autonomous System Numbers

Upcoming forums:

Recent changes:

• .COOP and .MOBI Proposed Contract Changes to Allocate Single-Character Names closed
• gTLD Registry Failover Plan closed
• SSAC Review Draft Terms of Reference opened
• Summary/analysis to Meetings Reform posted
• Draft/Interim Terminated Registrar Transition Procedure closed
• Draft Final ALAC Independent Review closed
• Proposed GNSO Top Level Implementation Plan closed
• Single Character Name Allocation Framework closed

• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• Apr 2008
• 2008 Archive
• 2007 Archive
• Prior to July 2007

Explanation: As part of ICANN's commitment to its ongoing improvement, the Board approved a comprehensive plan for independent review of ICANN's structures, as well as of the Board itself. The reviews are intended to ensure an independent examination of the role and operation of key elements of ICANN.

As part of this process, the draft Terms of Reference for the Review of the Security and Stability Advisory Committee are being posted for public comment.

Comments will close on 5 September 2008.

Revised Terms of Reference will be prepared based on the comments received.The revised Terms of Reference will form the basis for a Request for Proposal for an independent reviewer to undertake the review. It is anticipated that the review will commence later this year.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: During the ICANN meeting in Paris, France, ICANN staff made a commitment to release a paper describing the economic case for auctions as a tiebreaking mechanism for resolving contention among identical or confusingly similar applications for new gTLDs. The paper [PDF, 52K] was prepared by ICANN's auction design consultant PowerAuctions LLC with support from ICANN staff. The paper notes that auctions as a tiebreaking mechanism accomplish a goal of allocative efficiency through a transparent, objective and scalable process for the resolution of gTLD applications.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: ICANN invites comments on the Final ALAC Review Report [pdf] submitted by Independent Reviewer, Westlake Consulting.

The report is available in Arabic [PDF, 940K], Chinese [PDF, 881K], English [PDF, 561K], French [PDF, 629K], German [PDF, 611K] and Spanish [PDF, 629K].

ICANN is now seeking the views of the community on the recommendations contained in the report.

Westlake Consulting was selected by ICANN's Board to conduct the independent review of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and related structures. Key objectives of the review include:

[To determine] whether the ALAC has a continuing purpose in the ICANN structure; and, If so, whether any change in structure or operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness.

This review is part of ICANN's ongoing commitment to its evolution and improvement. ICANN's bylaws require periodic, independent examinations of the role and operation of key elements of ICANN.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: ICANN has received a request from the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) to run two pilot projects related to its implementation of UDRP.

ICANN has at the request of CAC agreed to post for public comment the description of the pilot projects for a period of thirty days (30), along with a report on the pilot project by professor Chris Reed, a recognized international authority on technology law and electronic commerce law.

Those wishing to comment are encouraged to do so and to make their comments not later than 20 August 2008.

Comments may be submitted by email to cac-pilot@icann.org and may be viewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/cac-pilot.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: On 26 June 2008, ICANN's Board of Director's passed the following resolution:

Whereas, the members of ICANN's Board of Directors are committed to maintaining a high standard of ethical conduct.

Whereas, the Board Governance Committee has developed a Code of Conduct to provide the Board with guiding principles for conducting themselves in an ethical manner.

Resolved (2008.06.26.09), the Board directs staff to post the newly proposed ICANN Board of Directors' Code of Conduct for public comment, for consideration by the Board as soon as feasible.

In accordance with the above resolution, public comments on ICANN Board of Directors' Code of Conduct [PDF, 25K] are encouraged to be submitted by 29 August 2008 via email to bcoc@icann.org. An archive of all comments received will be publicly posted at http://forum.icann.org/lists/bcoc.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: The IDNC Working Group (IDNC WG) has developed its Final Report on feasible methods that would enable the timely and efficient ("fast track") introduction of a limited number of non-contentious IDN ccTLDs, while an overall long-term IDN ccTLD policy is being developed. The Final Report highlights the latest topics and issues that need to be considered in developing (1) a mechanism for the selection of the IDN ccTLD string and (2) a mechanism to designate an IDN ccTLD manager. The ICANN Board of Directors accepted the Final Report at its 26 June meeting in Paris, France and directed that the report be made available for public comments.

Final Report of IDNC WG [PDF, 100K]

Comments on the document are welcome via email at idn-cctld-fast-track@icann.org. This public forum will be open through 15 August 2008. An archive of all comments received will be publicly posted at http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-cctld-fast-track/.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: The draft Operating Plan and Budget for the 2009 financial year has been released for public comment.

• Version 3 [PDF, 360K] (posted 25 June 2008 for consideration by ICANN Board)
• Version 2 [PDF, 476K] (posted 23 May 2008)
• Version 1 [PDF, 356K] (posted 17 May 2008)
  • Français [PDF, 375K]
  • Español [PDF, 379K]
  • Русский [PDF, 770K]
  • العربية - [PDF, 526K]
  • 中文 [PDF, 693K

As a result of the Strategic Plan, from which the Operating Plan is developed and which then leads through to the Budget, there is a call for substantial expense growth for ICANN.

This public comment period is intended to inform the community and provide active community and Board feedback on the proposed objectives and plans. This feedback will be taken into account in arriving at a final plan, which then establishes the resources and objectives for the ICANN community over the next year.

For more information on the process run through by the community to arrive at the Operating Plan and Budget, please review the official announcement of this comment period.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: In an effort to address concerns raised about the Protection of Registrants, ICANN has undertaken considerable discussions with community members concerning potential amendments to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA). The ICANN Board of Directors passed a resolution in San Juan directing staff to solicit community input related to RAA amendments, engage in a dialogue with registrars to arrive at a set of proposed RAA amendments to be posted for public comment. This set of proposals is set forth at http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-18jun08-en.htm.

This public comment period is the second of two that act as the place to provide written input and feedback into the consultation (oral input will be possible at ICANN and other meetings). A summary and analysis of this comment period will be provided to the Board in order to assist it in its review.

Announcement | Comments | Add a comment | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: The DotCoop and DotMobi sponsored TLDs have proposed allocation of single-character second-level domain names through the Registry Services Evaluation Process, and the registries are seeking contract amendments to proceed with allocation. Both amendments provide for changes to Appendix 6, Schedule of Reserved Names.

• The DotCoop proposal [PDF, 40K]
• The DotMobi proposal [PDF, 64K]

All documentation related to the DotCoop proposal is available at http://www.icann.org/registries/rsep/#2008005, while all documentation related to the DotMobi proposal is available at http://www.icann.org/registries/rsep/#2008006.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: During the ICANN meeting in Paris, staff announced that an implementable version of the gTLD Registry Failover Plan had been developed, in collaboration with gTLD registries, ccTLD managers, SSAC and others. The gTLD Registry Failover Project is one of ICANN's key projects as defined in its Operating Plan. The plan is being published for comment through 14 August 2008 23:59 UTC.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: Following extensive input from the Internet community, a Transition Action Plan, Improving Institutional Confidence in ICANN document and an FAQ have been prepared by the President’s Strategy Committee in order to start a discussion process for possible changes within ICANN, the main aim of which is to ensure community confidence in the organization as the Joint Project Agreement between ICANN and the United States government concludes in September 2009.

A timetable for that process will also be outlined, and a dedicated webpage launched to provide the community with all the information it needs, including regular updates as the process develops.

This public comment period will be one of two that act as the place to provide written input and feedback into the consultation (oral input will be possible at ICANN and other meetings). A summary and analysis of this comment period will be provided to the Committee carrying out the consultation (the President's Strategy Committee) in order to assist in revision and review of the documents above.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: Should ICANN change the number of meetings that it holds and their location? The Meetings Reform Paper [pdf] asks the community to consider that the number of meetings be reduced from three to two per year - a change that would commence from 2010.

The paper also proposes that one of the two meetings be held in locations that are transport hubs. The locations would need to be the subject of a separate consultation, but would be rotated through the existing ICANN predetermined regions.

There has not been substantive change to meetings processes or the frequency of the meetings since the organization's inception. The purpose of the paper is to encourage debate on any matters to do with meetings that the community may wish to raise, but to especially consider issues concerning the frequency of meetings and their location.

Aside from this public comment period, consultations will also be held at the Paris meeting directly with Committees and Councils and there will also be the opportunity to comment via the public forum.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: ICANN invites comments on its Draft/Interim Terminated Registrar Transition Procedure, which will be used by ICANN to facilitate transfer of gTLD registrations from de-accredited registrars to ICANN-accredited registrars. Following conclusion of this public comment period, the resulting procedure will be revised as appropriate and submitted to the ICANN Board of Directors for adoption and fully implemented upon approval.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: ICANN invites comments on the final draft of the ALAC Review Report [pdf] submitted by Independent Reviewer, Westlake Consulting. Westlake will present the draft report at a workshop on Monday, 23 June, at the Paris ICANN meeting, and the Board Governance Committee's ALAC Review Working Group will discuss the draft report at a workshop on Wedneseday, 25 June, in Paris.

This draft report (which includes the Executive Summary [pdf]) has not been reviewed by the ICANN Board or the Board Governance Committee. It is being shared for public information prior to it being finalised by Westlake. The final report will be submitted to the Board after the ICANN Paris meeting. Opportunity for public comment on the final report also will be provided.

Westlake Consulting was selected by ICANN's Board to conduct the independent review of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and related structures. Key objectives of the review include:

• [To determine] whether the ALAC has a continuing purpose in the ICANN structure; and,
• If so, whether any change in structure or operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness.

This review is part of ICANN's ongoing commitment to its evolution and improvement. ICANN's bylaws require periodic, independent examinations of the role and operation of key elements of ICANN.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: At its 25 June 2008 meeting in Paris, France the GNSO Council voted to invite public comments on the 21 June 2008 version of the GNSO Improvements - Top Level Plan prepared by the GNSO Improvements Planning Team.

The document contains some initial documentation on methods that can be followed in beginning the work required to transition from the current GNSO organization to the type of organization ultimately recommended by the ICANN Board - including the areas of process, operations and collaboration with other ICANN entities. Before any methods can be put into practice, the plan needs to be reviewed by the GNSO and the ICANN community at large and approved by the GNSO Council and endorsed by the ICANN Board.

A copy of the document: can be found here: http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/gnso-improvements-top-level-plan-21jun08.pdf [PDF, 148K]

See a web page with more information about the overall GNSO Improvements process here: http://www.icann.org/topics/gnso-improvements/.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: In response to community comment and interest, ICANN has developed a proposed allocation framework and use of funds from the allocation of single-character second-level domain names (SC SLDs) in existing gTLDs. ICANN is proposing an auction mechanism and disbursement of funds toward areas of public good for the Internet community. Discussion of proposed allocation methods will involve consultation with gTLD registries.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: As part of its ongoing efforts to review the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (the rules for transfer of domain names between registrars) the GNSO Council seeks community review and comment on two proposed revisions to the IRTP regarding reasons for which a registrar of record may deny a request to transfer a domain name to a new registrar. The two revisions being considered by the Council are referred to as Reason # 8 and Reason # 9. They are part of a larger policy development process (PDP) that has involved a subset of four reasons (Reason # 5 and # 7 in addition to # 8 and # 9) for which a registrar could deny a transfer request.

The overall IRTP review has become a considerable undertaking that could ultimately span as many as six separate policy development processes. A review of the current PDP involving Reasons # 8 and # 9 is set forth in the announcement for this comment forum.

On 17 April 2008, the GNSO Council launched a drafting group to develop suggested text modifications for Reasons 5, 7, 8 and 9. The drafting group delivered a Final Draft Report [PDF, 48K] dated 4 June 2008, proposing new textual language for reasons 8 and 9, while suggesting that denial reasons 5 and 7 be considered within a separate proposed PDP or a future PDP that offers a stronger linkage with those issues.

The Council agreed with the recommendations of the drafting group. It directed the staff to post the proposed new text for Reasons # 8 and # 9 for constituency and public comments and report back to the Council with a summary of the comments received.

You can read the recommendations regarding Reasons # 8 and # 9 with the proposed new language here: http://gnso.icann.org/issues/transfers/excerpts-report-transfers-pdp1-dg-jun08.pdf [PDF, 32K]

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: At the February Delhi meeting, there was a public consultation regarding ICANN's approach to travel support funding for the community. After the public consultation in Delhi, a public comment period was held, and the feedback was analyzed and noted online.

After receiving and analyzing comments on this draft, it will be updated if needed, and final results reviewed with the Board in Paris. Ultimately, the Board will need to adopt (or reject) the budget impact of this new proposal when the Board approves the budget in Paris.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments

Explanation: ICANN has received a Proposed Global Policy for Autonomous System Numbers, ASNs, developed by the addressing community through the Regional Internet Registries bottom-up processes and delivered for ratification to the ICANN Board. Autonomous System Numbers are used in the routing of Internet traffic addressed to major entities, qualifying as Autonomous Systems. The proposal defines timelines and allocation principles for a transition from 2-byte to 4-byte ASNs. For the full text of the proposal click here. The text has been open for public comments on multiple occasions through the RIR's procedures and a final call for public comments is now open until 7 July 2008.

Announcement | Comments | Summary/analysis of comments