[http://www.icann.org/images/gradlogo_bow.jpg]<http://www.icann.org/> News Alert http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-14feb14-en.htm ________________________________ Generation Panel for the Arabic Script Root Zone Label Generation Rules Seated 14 February 2014 ICANN is pleased to announce that the Generation Panel for the Arabic Script Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR) has been seated. Following the Call for Generation Panels to Develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-11jul13-en.htm> published on 11 July 2013, the Task Force on Arabic Script Internationalized Domain Names<https://community.icann.org/display/MES/Task+Force+on+Arabic+Script+IDNs> (TF-AIDN), a community-driven initiative of the Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG), has developed and submitted to ICANN, on 13 January 2014, the Proposal for Generation Panel for Arabic Script Label Generation Ruleset for the Root Zone<http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds/lgr-procedure-20mar13-en....> [PDF, 772 KB] (LGR Procedure). ICANN staff has reviewed the proposal including panel composition and scope, to ensure that requirements set forth in the LGR Procedure<http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds/lgr-procedure-20mar13-en....> [PDF, 772 KB], and in particular the criteria set forth in the Call for Generation Panels to Develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-11jul13-en.htm>, are fulfilled. ICANN would also like to use this opportunity to thank each of the members for offering their time and expertise to volunteer on the Arabic Script Generation Panel. With composition and work plan approved, the Arabic Script Generation Panel will start its work on the label generation rules. According to the LGR Procedure<http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds/lgr-procedure-20mar13-en....> [PDF, 772 KB], the starting point of any Generation Panel's work is the maximal set of code points defined by the Integration Panel as well as a set of Default Whole Label Variant Evaluation Rules. The full specification of Generation Panel's tasks can be found in the LGR Procedure<http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds/lgr-procedure-20mar13-en....> [PDF, 772 KB] in particular, Section B.3 "Variant Rule Generation Procedure". ICANN will provide a central public location workspace on the project website<https://community.icann.org/display/croscomlgrprocedure/Arabic+Script+GP> where Arabic Script Generation Panel composition, work plan updates, public reports, contact details, and any other relevant information will be included. As a reminder, and to highlight the importance of script community involvement required in the development of the IDN Root Zone LGR, we would like to reiterate the Call for Generation Panels to Develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-11jul13-en.htm>. A successful development of the IDN Root Zone LGR depends on having Generation Panels for each script represented in the Root Zone. In the first stages of the IDN Root Zone LGR development and in addition to ongoing efforts with the Arabic script, Generation Panel formation is expected to cover following scripts: Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cyrillic, Greek, Latin, Bengali, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, and Georgian (i.e., scripts represented in existing applications from both New gTLD and IDN ccTLD Programs). For further information on how to form a Generation Panel or to express individual or group statements of interest for the establishment of a Generation Panel, please refer to the Call for Generation Panels to Develop Root Zone Label Generation Rules<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-11jul13-en.htm> and to the additional supporting documentation provided on the Root Zone LGR Project website<https://community.icann.org/display/croscomlgrprocedure/Root+Zone+LGR+Projec...>.