Dear Colleagues,

I appreciate your understanding regarding the small delay in submitting this report. I’m pleased to bring you key updates that highlight our continued cooperation with the GAC and positive steps forward.

1. ALAC-GAC Regulatory Developments May Briefing 

Laying the Groundwork: Internet Infrastructure and Multistakeholder Governance in MENA
Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Time: 16:00–17:00 UTC
Interpretation: English, Spanish, French
Event Page: ICANN Wiki – Event Details

This session will focus on the governance of Internet infrastructure in the MENA region through a multistakeholder lens—an increasingly pertinent subject given the evolving geopolitical and regulatory context.

Agenda Summary:

• Opening Remarks: Zeina Bourharb (GAC), Joanna Kulesza (ALAC Liaison)
• Introduction and Scoping Questions: Dr. Chafik Chaya (RIPE NCC)
• Regional Perspectives Input (tbc)
• Open Q&A and Forward Planning

Preparatory Call: Scheduled for Tuesday, 27 May 2025.

I warmly encourage colleagues to register and actively participate in this session, which offers a unique opportunity for meaningful cross-community dialogue on regional governance of digital infrastructures. This briefing will focus on the evolving multistakeholder approach and the MENA region, a subject of particular relevance given the current geopolitical context.

Please note, this will be our last regulatory developments session before the Prague meeting and a possible summer break. I would appreciate your thoughts on whether it would be useful to host a regulatory developments briefing in July, considering the upcoming IGF and WSIS+20 meetings our communities might wish to jointly debrief on.

2. ALAC-GAC Bilateral Meeting at ICANN83 (Prague)

Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Time: 09:30–10:15 UTC
Preparatory Call: Scheduled for Thursday, 29 May 2025

Preparations for the ICANN83 ALAC–GAC bilateral meeting are well underway. The preparatory call later this week will be used to finalise the agenda, and coordinate intervention points.

Draft Agenda:

• Welcome and Introductions
• Remarks by the GAC Chair and ALAC Chair
• Applicant Support Program (ASP): ALAC Speaker: Avri Doria
• Public Interest Frameworks and Advisory Committess Roles: ALAC Speaker: Justine Chew
• Q&A and Moderated Open Discussion

The session will allow us to further strengthen our close relationship with the GAC on two topics of mutual interest. With regard to potentially identifying new areas for collaboration, please see below. 

Regrettably, I’ll only be able to join the Prague meeting remotely, but our Chairs and the GAC Liaison to ALAC will work together with the staff on the ground to ensure, once again, an informative and productive session.

3. On ICANN’s Language Regarding Diversity and Inclusion

Recent internal discussions within our community have reflected growing awareness and concern regarding changes in ICANN’s institutional language on diversity and inclusion. This topic, which relates directly to ICANN’s core commitments to geographic, linguistic, and stakeholder diversity as articulated in its Bylaws, has generated meaningful and timely exchanges.

Should the community wish to raise this matter further with the GAC, I remain at your disposal to support and contribute to the discussion.

Administrative Note:
I respectfully request that At-Large Staff upload this report to the At-Large wiki.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update—I look forward to your feedback.

--