Dear Community Members,

As part of ICANN’s work on the Applicant Guidebook for new gTLDs and the Board’s direction to resolve the potential for malicious conduct over-arching issue, ICANN Staff is soliciting knowledgeable volunteers to serve on two temporary, expert advisory groups to study and develop proposed solutions for:

1.    Enhancing access to zone file information; and
2.    Establishing a high security TLD verification program.

Attached are briefing papers on these topics that will be used for each group’s kick-off call that is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, 8 December (attached in both Word and PDF format). The call time, dial-in information and any associated materials will be provided next week.

Additional information about these groups and their activities will be posted via a link on ICANN’s new gTLD webpage (<http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/related-en.htm>). Recordings or minutes from the groups' conference calls will be publicly archived, and their outputs will be publicly posted and considered as part of ongoing Applicant Guidebook work.

ICANN Staff invites the participation of experts from GNSO Stakeholder Groups, constituencies, advisory committees, and other interested parties. We look forward to your participation in this work.

If you are interested in participating in either or both groups or have any questions, please email me at <craig.schwartz@icann.org> by Thursday, 3 December.

Thank you.

Craig Schwartz
Chief gTLD Registry Liaison