Thanks for this, Joanna.

I am surprised not to see any mention of any GAC response to the Community Reconsideration Petition from ALAC to the Empowered Community Administration on the Postponement of ATRT4?

Kindest regards,

Olivier

On 21/07/2025 07:00, Joanna Kulesza via ALAC wrote:

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

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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

Session Details:

Reference Materials

    • UN OEWG Final Report (Adopted 11 July 2025):

Letter from the OEWG Chair – 10 July 2025 [docs-library.unoda.org] 

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

    • WSIS+20 High-Level Event – Highlights and Outcomes:
      WSIS+20 Forum 2025 Outcomes [itu.int]
      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

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.

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