Dear All, The ccNSO seeks volunteers for the new ccNSO Universal Acceptance Committee (UAC). The call for volunteers opens Monday, 31 July 2023 (00:01 UTC) will close Tuesday, 15 August 2023 (23:59 UTC). Further background details and information on how to join are included below. Potential UAC members and those want to learn more about the work of the UAC are kindly invited to a 1-hour webinar. UAC Webinar | Wednesday, 9 August 2023 (noon UTC) Register in advance for this meeting: https://icann.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckfuqgrzMjGdfnPK4vY3KSIUNpQNnSTka3 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The Zoom recording will be published here: https://community.icann.org/x/HBwFBQ Purpose and Mandate Universal Acceptance (UA) refers to the concept of treating all domain names equally and ensuring that they are recognized, accepted, and functional across all internet applications, systems, and devices. The purpose of the ccNSO Universal Acceptance Committee (UAC) is to provide the ccTLD community a platform to interact and share information at a global level and with other groups under the ICANN umbrella on topics related to UA and acceptance of IDNs. The initiative should not overlap with other related efforts. In keeping with the nature of the ccNSO, the purpose of the Committee is not to formulate any policy or standards, recognising that these issues are within scope of individual ccTLDs and out of scope of the ccNSO. Scope of activities The Committee will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the areas of activity as included in the UAC Terms of Reference: * Close cooperation with the ccNSO appointed liaison to ICANN’s Universal Acceptance Steering Group and liaising with other relevant ICANN groups, ccTLDs and regional organisations. * Showcasing ccTLD efforts and sharing knowledge on current practices in IDN support and UA readiness, via dedicated sessions around UA readiness and practices for ccTLDs and otherwise providing useful resources regarding EAI adoption for ccTLDs. The UA standing committee is tasked to explore further activities. However, potential new activities are subject to community consultation, and support as well as approval by the ccNSO Council. The community consultation and council approval process are deemed necessary, to avoid that the ccNSO undertakes efforts that could be perceived to overstep its mandate. Moreover, duplication of efforts with activities by others should be avoided. It is particularly important to emphasise that the UAC is being established to fill (perceived) gaps in information sharing, act as a point of contact, and is complementary to already existing efforts at local, regional and global levels. The UAC should not duplicate those efforts. Workload & working method The UAC will have its first meeting on Wednesday, 24 August 2023 at noon UTC, and is expected to convene via recorded teleconferences every other week. Who can join? Representatives from all ccTLD managers are eligible as UAC members, whether members or non-members of the ccNSO. The Committee should represent ccTLDs globally, with at least one member from each of the ICANN geographical regions. Compensation UAC members are not compensated. The ccNSO has a limited number of travel funding slots to ICANN public meetings with a face-to-face component, for those participants that actively participate in the work of the ccNSO and makes a special contribution to its projects and meetings. How to apply? If you are interested in joining the UASC, kindly send an e-mail to joke.braeken@icann.org<mailto:joke.braeken@icann.org> Kindly specify which ccTLD you are affiliated with. Closing date of this call for volunteers is Wednesday, 15 August 2023, 23:59 UTC Next steps? Once we have received your intent to apply for this position, the ccNSO Secretariat will send you a link to a Public Data Consent Form. Via this form, you consent to ICANN processing data in order to appoint you as member and to subscribe you to the relevant mailing list(s). The form explains the information ICANN will process to administer your participation and how the information will be used this purpose. It also describes the rights you have regarding your information. Members shall be appointed by the ccNSO Council after closure of the call for volunteers. Background & Links All relevant resources will be published on the ccNSO UAC workspace<https://community.icann.org/x/UIfxDg>. Read the Terms of Reference as approved by ccNSO Council at its meeting on 20 July 2023 here<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=228788165&preview=/...>. Best regards, Joke Braeken joke.braeken@icann.org<mailto:joke.braeken@icann.org>