Dear Colleagues, Please find the *ALAC July Liaison Report *pasted below. Grateful if staff could kindly post this on the ALAC wiki ahead of the upcoming monthly meeting. -- Kind regards, Joanna Kulesza ------------------- Joanna Kulesza, PhD Professor of International Law Lodz Cyber Hub / University of Lodz Law School / Poland www.cyber.uni.lodz.pl (EURALO ALS 341) ALAC / EURALO / ALAC Liaison to the GAC ---------- *ALAC Liaison Report to the GAC* *By Joanna Kulesza, EURALO, ALAC Liaison to the GAC * *Reporting Period:* June –July 2025 *Submitted:* 21 July 2025 ------------------------------ *1. Key Developments* - *GAC Communiqué – ICANN83 * Issued on *13 June 2025*, the GAC Communiqué addressed the following matters of relevance to At-Large: - *WHOIS / Registration Data Access*: The GAC reiterated concerns regarding persistent access limitations to WHOIS/RDRS systems and the need for accessible, transparent procedures. - *DNS Abuse*: Noted incremental progress but emphasized the need for enforcement measures and clear accountability mechanisms for contracted parties. - *Applicant Support Program (ASP)*: Expressed concern about the limited uptake in applications and recommended a mid-program assessment to evaluate outreach and implementation. - *Accountability and Transparency*: Highlighted ongoing concerns about the deferral of ATRT4 recommendations and requested a revised timeline from the Board. Full communiqué: https://gac.icann.org/contentMigrated/icann83-prague-communique - *In progress: Joint GAC–ALAC Statement on the Applicant Support Program (ASP)* Drafting began in early July 2025, following consensus on the need for a coordinated inter-AC/SO statement. Key concerns under discussion include: - Regional imbalance in applications - Barriers to entry for underserved applicants - Need for additional support mechanisms and a mid-cycle review *NOTE: At-Large topic leads: Justine Chew, Avri Doria, Tijani Ben Jemaa* - *Regulatory Updates Briefing – UN OEWG & WSIS+20* Scheduled for *24 July 2025 at 16:00 UTC*, this intersessional community session is co-sponsored by ALAC and GAC leadership. Register here: https://icann.zoom.us/meeting/register/RaKd7Od0QN2MGNMRpPHTtw *Session Details*: - *Title*: *UN OEWG Outcomes & WSIS+20 Reflections: What Comes Next for ICANN?* - *Date/Time*: 24 July 2025, 16:00–17:00 UTC - *Format*: 60-minute Zoom webinar with live interpretation (EN/FR/ES) - *Speakers*: - Alexey Trepykhalin (ICANN): UN OEWG Final Report - ICANN.org Governmental Engagement, TBC (ICANN): WSIS+20 High-Level Summary - *Agenda & Materials*: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/385875969/20... - *More about the Regulatory Updates Briefing Series: * https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/180715827/GA... *Reference Materials* - *UN OEWG Final Report (Adopted 11 July 2025):* Letter from the OEWG Chair – 10 July 2025 [docs-library.unoda.org] <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/docs-library.unoda.org/Open-Ended_Working...> *Key outcomes include reaffirmation of the applicability of international law in cyberspace, enhanced cooperation mechanisms, and recommendations for capacity-building and confidence-building measures.* · *TL;DR - Why it matters to the At-Large Community? **Breaking Ground: Historic Launch of UN Global Mechanism for Cyberspace Governance <https://circleid.com/posts/breaking-ground-historic-launch-of-un-global-mechanism-for-cyberspace-governance>* - *WSIS+20 High-Level Event – Highlights and Outcomes:* WSIS+20 Forum 2025 Outcomes [itu.int] <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2025/Home/Out...> *This event marked two decades of global digital cooperation, with announcements on inclusive connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and renewed commitments to the WSIS Action Lines.* - *ICANN84 GAC/ALAC Bilateral (Dublin)* Scheduled for *28 October 2025 at 09:00 UTC*. Tentative agenda items include: - Review of ASP Mid-Program Assessment (pending outcome) - DNS Abuse enforcement trends and transparency - Follow-up on intergovernmental developments (WSIS+20, UN OEWG) NOTE: feedback welcome ------------------------------ *2. Ongoing Issues of Joint Interest* - *ASP Transparency and Participation Metrics* As of 15 July 2025, no detailed public update on ASP application volume or regional distribution has been published. Several community groups, including ALAC and GAC, have called for: - Weekly reporting on application volume and demographics - Clarification of evaluation metrics - External review of outreach effectiveness - *DNS Abuse Metrics and Enforcement* Calls persist for: - Publication of DNS abuse compliance actions - Disaggregated metrics by abuse category and registrar region - A structured roadmap for enforcement beyond voluntary reporting ------------------------------ *3. Upcoming Events * *Date* *Event / Milestone* *Link / Notes* 24 July 2025 *Regulatory Briefing: UN OEWG & WSIS+20* Agenda & Registration <https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/385875969/20...> July 2025 *Draft GAC–ALAC Joint Statement on ASP – Community Circulation* GAC and At-Large policy lists 28 October 2025 *GAC–ALAC Bilateral, ICANN84 (Dublin)* Time: 09:00 UTC – Agenda TBA ------------------------------ *4. Strategic Alignment with ALAC FY26 Priorities* These developments directly support and operationalize *ALAC’s FY26 Strategic Objectives*, as identified in the July 2025 strategy exercises: *[1] Strategic Objective 1:* *“Evolve and promote ICANN’s Multistakeholder Model to sustain its inclusive approach to Internet Governance.”* - The joint GAC–ALAC engagement on the ASP and shared concerns regarding RDRS accessibility exemplify active inter-AC/ASO collaboration. - The Regulatory Briefing on *UN OEWG and WSIS+20* facilitates informed community dialogue on global governance developments, reinforcing ALAC’s commitment to inclusive participation. *[2] Strategic Objective 3:* *“Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to evolve the Internet’s unique identifier systems.”* - Ongoing ALAC–GAC coordination on WHOIS/RDRS, DNS Abuse enforcement, and policy implementation reflects shared responsibility for evolving identifier governance with a user-centric perspective. - ALAC’s advocacy for DNS Abuse transparency and metrics aligns with efforts to strengthen identifier system accountability and operational integrity. ------------------------------ *5. Recommendations* - ICANN Org is encouraged to publish *granular ASP application data* and open a *public consultation on mid-program review mechanisms*. - GAC and ALAC to jointly pursue a *cross-community session at ICANN84* focused on inclusivity and accessibility in the next round of gTLD applications. - Formal follow-up to the 24 July Regulatory Briefing, possibly in the form of an intersessional webinar on *ICANN's engagement with the WSIS+20 review process*. ---------------------