Dear all, Please find included the Agenda and draft Resolutions for meeting 203 of the Council. For your convenience I have also included the timeline for the members vote again as suggested at meeting 202. Also find included the letter from the chair of the ICANN Board on amendment of recommendation 7 of the ccWG – Auction Proceeds Final Report and Theresa Swinehart on possible deferral of ATRT4 ( to be discussed under AOB, time permitting) Kind regards, Bart ------------ Agenda and Draft Resolutions ccNSO Council Meeting 203 7 March 2024 1. Welcome and roll call * Establish whether meeting is Quorate * Update Statement of Interest For information <https://ccnso.icann.org/en/about/ccnso-internal-procedure-general-soi-coi-21...> Guideline<https://ccnso.icann.org/en/about/ccnso-internal-procedure-general-soi-coi-21...> & <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRpehiCw2ty2PYRiaPG0K3lZSKk9LrLPQe...> Template<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRpehiCw2ty2PYRiaPG0K3lZSKk9LrLPQe...> Administrative matters 1. Relevant Correspondence<https://ccnso.icann.org/en/about/statements.htm> * Letter to chair of the GAC seeking advice or opinion form the GAC on proposed policy ( 27 February 2024) * Letter from Theresa Swinehart on possible Deferral ATRT4 (13 February 2024). To be discussed under AOB * Letter from Tripti Sinha to consider update Recommendation 7 CCWG- Auction Proceeds report (2 March 2024) To be discussed under AOB 1. Minutes & Action Items * Minutes Meeting 202: Circulated 29 February 2024 * Action items ● 198-08: Liaison to GAC to follow up regarding virtual joint meeting (Ongoing, pending appointment liaison) ● 199-07: Council ad-hoc to report on succession planning external roles and responsibilities by ICANN79 (Ongoing, not completed) ● 200-03: IGLC is requested to gather information on what cc’s are doing in respect to WSIS and provide simpler/more targeting messaging to the ccTLDs. (Deferred post ICANN79, after presentation ICANN communication plan WSIS+20) ● 201-03: Staff to monitor how discussion re exclusion of IRP through contractual arrangement or Bylaw change evolves. (Ongoing, staff update) ● 201-05: GRC to review recommendations Board Nomination Process manager as included in Board Seat 12 election report. (Ongoing) ● 202-01: The secretariat is requested to inform the chair of the MPC and the SOPC regarding Joel Karubiu’s (Completed) ● 202-02: Council to provide comments or feedback on the Google doc by February 20, 2024 on Roles and Responsibilities guideline. (Completed, no responses received) ● 202- 03: Council to provide comments or feedback on the Google doc by February 20, 2024 Council Election guideline. (Completed no comments received) ● 202-04: Council and GRC volunteers to prepare discussion on voting advice/feedback on anonymity (Ongoing, two volunteers to date, additional volunteers welcome) ● 202-05: GRC to add anonymity voting and voting process as item to harmonization of Guidelines (Ongoing) ● 202-06: Staff to inform GNS EPDP staff that the ccNSO Council has no objection to play role in formal process for convening a group that would propose amendments to IDN Guidelines. (Completed) ● 202-07: Councillors are requested to submit questions to be asked to the ccNSO appointed Board members. (Completed) ● 202-08: Councillors to complete 360 review of fellow Councillors (Completed) 1. Intermeeting Decisions (since meeting 202, February 2024) 1. Intermeeting decisions Triage Committee The Triage Committee has made no decisions since meeting 202: Updates 1. Update ECA & CSC (written update) 1. Update WGs (written updates or taken from the meeting) * IGLC * GRC * SOPC * OISC (no meetings pending Review) * TLD-OPS * DASC * Technical WG * MPC * UAC * New: Registrant capacity ad-hoc group * IRP Panel selection * CCG WS 2 Implementation * Prioritization Framework group 1. Update liaisons (written updates) * Update ALAC Liaison * Update GNSO Liaison * Update UASG Liaison 1. Update OISC Review Informational 1. Update ccNSO Website redesign Informational 1. Update Chair, Vice-Chairs, Councillors, RO’s and Secretariat * In person Round Table Friday 1 March 2024 * Update Councillors from various sessions they attended during ICANN79 Administrative Matters & Decisions 1. Assignment of Roles and Responsibilities to Councillors According to the Guideline: ccNSO Council Roles and Responsibilities (https://ccnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/field-attached/roles-responsibil...) the ccNSO Council elects is chair and vice-chairs annually, at the first ICANN meeting of the calendar year. The chair will be elected first and the vice-chairs selected afterwards. The section of the meeting where the Chair gets elected shall be chaired by Vice-Chair who is not standing for chair. According to the Guideline the chair and vice-chairs need to be from different ICANN regions. Chair election After nomination and secondment, a candidate has to accept her/his nomination. If only one candidate stands, the Councillors will appoint the candidate by a public vote. If two or more candidates have accepted the nomination, the Councillors will elect the Chair by a secret vote. Vice-Chair elections To be nominated as vice-chairs the following procedural requirements are relevant: The candidates should not be from same ICANN regions nor from the Chair’s ICANN Geographic region, Has been nominated and seconded, and has accepted her/his nomination. If there are as many valid candidates as there are open Vice-chair seats and each candidate is from a different ICANN Geographic Region, the Vice-chairs will be appointed by a public vote. * Election of the ccNSO Council Chair The ccNSO Council is expected to elect its chair from its members at this meeting. Draft Resolution Decision In accordance with the procedure to select its chair and vice-chairs, as included in the Guideline ccNSO Roles and Responsibilities<https://ccnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/field-attached/roles-responsibil...> adopted on 26 February 2018, [insert name] was duly nominated and seconded as Chair of the ccNSO , and accepted her /his nomination and the ccNSO Council elects [insert name] to serve as its chair starting at the end of the Council meeting of ICANN79 until the end of ICANN82. The secretariat is requested to inform the ICANN secretary accordingly and post an announcement on the ccNSO Website. This resolution becomes effective upon publication. * Election of the ccNSO Council vice-chairs The ccNSO Council is expected to elect its vice- chairs from its members at this meeting. Draft Resolution Decision In accordance with the procedure to select its chair and vice-chairs, as include in the Guideline ccNSO Roles and Responsibilities<https://ccnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/field-attached/roles-responsibil...> adopted on 26 February 2018, [insert names] were duly nominated and seconded, and accepted their nominations. It is noted that the chair, and vice-chairs are all residing in different ICANN regions. The ccNSO Council elects [insert names ] to serve as its Vice-Chairs starting at the end of the Council meeting of ICANN79 until the end of ICANN82. The secretariat is requested to inform the ICANN secretary accordingly and post an announcement on the ccNSO Website. This resolution becomes effective upon publication. * Adoption of Assignment of roles and responsibilities of Council members By adopting the overview of roles and responsibilities of Councillors, individual Councillors are appointed to the various committees and liaison roles. Draft Resolution Decision The ccNSO Council adopts the March 2024 overview of roles and responsibilities and their assignment to Councillors, including those of the Council Chair and Vice-Chair as decided under a. and b. above. The secretariat is requested to publish this resolution and the overview on the ccNSO website as soon as possible. This resolution becomes effective upon publication. For Discussion and Decision, if needed 1. Discussion and Decisions related to ccPDP4 I. Adoption recommended policy ccPDP4 on (de-)selection of IDN ccTLD strings The ccPDP4 WG has submitted its Final report to Council on 23 February 2024 for consideration and adoption of Council Recommendation on the proposed policy. The Recommended Policy is included in Part A of the Final report. A decision on the prosed policy is not subject to the internal Rules of the ccNSO, but is guided by Annex B of the ICANN Bylaws (on the ccNSO Policy Development Processes) Draft Resolution Background In March 2020, the ccNSO Council initiated the fourth ccNSO Policy Development Process (ccPDP4) to develop policy for the (de-) selection and delegation, transfer, revocation & retirement of IDNccTLDs. The task was to address the issues identified by the ccNSO Preliminary Review Team with respect to the 2013 proposed policy for the selection of IDNccTLD strings, including but not limited to lack of definition of variant and variant management and the deselection of IDNccTLD strings i.e., retirement of IDNccTLDs. In addressing the issues relating to variant and variant management through this PDP effort, and to achieve a consistent solution across IDN variant ccTLDs and IDN variant gTLDs as requested and suggested by the ICANN Board, the proposed policy builds on and includes the Variant TLD Recommendations developed by ICANN and as adopted by the Board. In addition, the ccPDP4 group coordinated its effort with the related GNSO IDN EPDP effort per Board request. In July 2022, the ccPDP4 was additionally tasked by the ccNSO Council to look at the need for further clarification of the ICANN Bylaws Sections 4.2 (d) (i) and 4.3 (c) (ii) (exclusion of the Independent Review Process and Reconsideration), and, if clarification is needed, make a recommendation to that effect. In addition, ccPDP4 was tasked to recommend whether the ccPDP3 Review Mechanism should apply, which was developed in parallel with the ccPDP4 effort. The ccPDP4 recommended policy focuses on four (4) stages : (i) the selection of the IDNccTLD string and related variants; (ii) the validation of the selected IDNccTLD string and its variants; (iii) the delegation, transfer, and revocation of the IDNccTLD string and its variants and, the retirement of the IDNccTLD string and its variants, and finally, (iv) the potential review of specific decisions pertaining to the delegation, transfer, revocation and retirement of an IDNccTLD strings and its related variants. The proposals do not intend to amend nor change current policies – for example RFC 1591 as interpreted by the Framework of Interpretation - for the delegation, transfer, revocation, and retirement of ccTLDs. Rather the goal is that the ccPDP4 recommendations build on these policies. In addition, and as tasked by the ccNSO Council, it is recommended that the proposed Review Mechanism policy applies to specific situations identified in the proposed policy. However, it is recognized that due to the nature of IDNccTLDs and variants additional, specific provisions had to be provided specifically for IDNccTLDs. These specific provisions may deviate from current policies. For example, an IDNccTLD string and its Delegatable variants must be delegated to one and the same entity i.e., the same (IDN)ccTLD manager. Since 8 September 2020 (the first meeting) the group met 67 times to date (up and until 13 February 2024). The full group completed its initial review and update of the basic proposals (as included in the 2013 Board Report, and reviewed by the ccNSO Preliminary Review Team), in September 2021. The Variant Management subgroup started its work in March 2021 and after 30 meetings concluded its work in July 2022, The Deselection subgroup started in September 2021 and concluded its work in February 2023 after 8 meetings. The Confusing Similarity subgroup started in March 2022 and concluded its work in January 2023, after 15 meetings. The stress testing and analysis of the public comments received on the Initial Report was completed by the full working group. Decision The ccNSO Council adopts the Recommended Policy as contained in the Final Report of the ccPDP4 Working Group Part A as submitted to the Chair of the ccNSO Council on 23 February 2024. The adopted recommendations shall be conveyed to the Members of the ccNSO as the Council Recommendation to vote upon. The ccNSO Council Recommendation addresses the issues as identified pertaining to the introduction of a Review Mechanism as identified in February 2017 as adopted by the ccNSO Council in March 2017. The ccNSO Council wholeheartedly thanks the members and other participants of the ccPDP4 Working Group for their hard work and prolonged effort to conclude the ccPDP4 policy endeavor and propose the overall policy for the selection, and deselection of IDNccTLD strings and their variants, and related matters. In particular the Council thanks the chair and vice-chair of the working group Kenny Huang, Anil Kumar Jain, Svitlana Tkachenko, and Dennis Tan as chair, vice-chairs and chairs and vice-chairs of the subgroups. The Council also expresses its thanks to Kimberly Carlson and Joke Braeken for their unwavering support and hard work. The secretariat is requested to inform the WG membership and broader community and prepare and conduct the required membership vote. This resolution becomes effective upon publication, and the Issue Manager is requested to compile the Members Report as required under Annex B of the ICANN Bylaws. II. Support of Advice to ccTLD Managers with respect to registration of variants at second or levels under management and on IDN Tables. The IDNccPDP4 WG identified two issues they considered to be out of remit of the ccNSO policy development process. However the Working Group considered that ccTLD Managers should be advised to take the proposed actions to maintain stability and security of the DNS, when the ccTLD allows the registration of variants of Second or Lower level domain under management. The advice of the working Group is not part of the proposed policy and included in part B of the Final Report. The Council decision on this matter is not governed by Annex B of the Bylaws, but the ccNSO 2022 Internal rules apply i.e. the Decision of the Council will be effective seven days after publication. Draft Resolution Background The ccPDP4 working group agreed that when discussing and addressing issues durng the policy development process it should determine whether an issue needs to be addressed and, if so, whether it should be addressed through a policy proposal or – when considered out of the policy scope - should be raised and addressed in another way. The goal is to ensure that ccTLD Managers and others involved in IDNs are aware of issues, risks, and potential solutions to address the issues or mitigate the risks. Following this procedure the WG identified two areas, which were considered to be out of scope of its policy development remit as defined in Annex C of the Bylaws: · Enhance adherence with the relevant RFCs and to inform TLD Operators, including but not limited to other IDNccTLD Managers and stakeholders, in a transparent and accountable manner, it is strongly suggested that IDNccTLD Managers are expected (but not required) to publish repertoires of Unicode code points that are permitted for registration under the selected IDNccTLD string and/or its variants (hereafter: IDN Table) and be guided by the Guidelines for the Implementation of Internationalized Domain Names applicable at the time. · To maintain this basic policy premise and minimize the risk of user confusion and – related- security issues arising from diverging registrations i.e. arising from delegation of domain names that are deemed to be same to two different entities to be the same, the risk mitigation measure is proposed that ccTLD Managers are expected, but not obliged, to limit the registration of variants of second level domains or under variants of the country code IDN Top Level Domain, to the “same entity”. The Final Report of the ccPDP4 Working Group contains advice for the ccTLD Managers that manage an IDNccTLD or allow the registration of Internationalized Domain Names at second or lower level, including variants of these domain names, in the areas identified above. As the advice of the working Group is not part of the proposed policy and included in part B of the Final Report, any Council decision on the matters identified in Part B of the report, the Council decisions on these matters are not governed by Annex B of the Bylaws, but the <https://ccnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/field-attached/internal-membersh...> ccNSO 2022 Internal Rules<https://ccnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/field-attached/internal-membersh...> i.e. the decisions of the Council will be effective seven days after publication, subject to a call for membership vote. Decision The ccNSO Council adopts Part B of the Final Report of the ccPDP4 Working Group and supports the recommendations contained in it. The Council requests its chair to inform the ccTLD Community accordingly of the advice. The membership of the ccPDP4 Working Group is thanked wholeheartedly for its work to prepare and provide the advice contained in ccPDP4 Working Group. The secretariat is requested to publish this resolution as soon as possible. This resolution becomes effective seven (7) days after publication. III. Adoption Timeline members vote Assuming the Council will adopt the proposed policy, the Council is expected to set the members' vote. Draft Resolution Background Per Annex B of the ICANN Bylaws the ccNSO members shall be given an opportunity to vote on the Council Recommendation as just adopted. The vote of members shall be electronic and lodged through their designated Emissaries. The members' votes shall be lodged over such a period of time as designated in the PDP Timeline, and at least 21 days long. Decision In accordance with the proposed timeline the Council sets the starting date for the ccNSO Members vote on the Council Recommendation to start on Wednesday 27 March 2023, 00.01 UTC and end Wednesday 17 April 2024 at 23.59 UTC. The ccNSO Council appoints Joke Braeken as voting process manager, and requests her to take all steps necessary to organize the members vote and report on the result of the ccNSO members vote to Council by 23 April 2024. 1. Discussion and decision on next steps outcome world cafés on keeping the ccNSO relevant next 7 years For discussion and decision Draft Resolution Background The ccNSO Council welcomes the ccNSO 20th Anniversary Celebration Committee has prepared a report on outcomes of the two world café sessions and summarized the suggestions. The committee proposes that Council undertakes the following steps to build on the suggestions made in the cafés and embed them in the ccNSO: * Step 1 - Some suggestions and topics are already within the remit of the working groups and committees, whether explicitly or emerging as a topic. Therefore it is suggested that first the Council assesses whether each and any of the suggestions is within the remit of the ccNSO and its strategic purpose. * Step 2 - If a suggestion is within the remit of the ccNSO, the Council needs to determine whether the suggestion is within scope of the ccNSO Council or one of the existing ccNSO committees or working groups. If so, the group will need to be informed and should be asked to consider if and how it intends to include it as a work item, and report back to the community through the Council. * Step 3 - If a suggestion is not within the scope of the Council, a committee or working group, the Council is expected to consider whether it needs to be further explored and included in the portfolio of the ccNSO. * Step 4 - The Council is advised to report back to the community if and how the various suggestions have been incorporated in the portfolio of activities of the ccNSO. Decision The ccNSO Council adopts the report and the proposed manner in which the Council is expected to handle the suggestions from the world cafes. The ccNSO Council thanks the ccNSO 20th Anniversary Celebration Committee for its report, and again thanks the members of the committee for organizing the two world cafes and the other activities. The ccNSO requests the secretariat to post this resolution as soon as possible. The resolution will become effective seven (7) days after publication. 1. Discussion and decision output open space sessions and GRC/Council workshop on continuous improvement For discussion and decision Background After the GRC extensively explored the value of continuous improvement for the ccNSO through the in-person and virtual open space sessions. The Open Space identified the following areas as focal points for continuous improvement of the ccNSO: * Engagement and Participation (language, time zone, politics * Knowledge Sharing and Communication (knowledge transfer, internal communications, external communications * Process and Structural Improvement (continuous improvement both at a ccNSO level and an ICANN level, efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness) At its workshop in San Juan the GRC explored which method / model would be most advisable to use as a basis for continuous improvement of the ccNSO. The GRC also advises to experiment and test the method on a process that will cover most of the focal points of the two open Space meetings and suggest to Increasing the level of voting of ccNSO membership. Purpose of this experiment is to gain experience in continuous improvement and test the preferred method in a real lie and limited setting. The Council will be asked to support the approach: Test continuous improvement of the ccNSO by experiment to increase the level of voting by the ccNSO members. Draft resolution Decision The ccNSO Council supports the suggestion of the ccNSO Guideline Review Committee (GRC) to experiment and test with the proposed continuous improvement method by using the framework and related template to plan and document the improvements of the ccNSO members voting process. The GRC is further requested to report to Council at its meeting in Kigali. The Council thanks all participants in the Hamburg and virtual open Space session and the organizers of the sessions and requests them to publish the rough notes of the sessions. 1. Discussion Next steps GAP Analysis (outcomes council workshop and member session) For discussion Draft resolution Decision The ccNSO Council requests the Council members of the ad-hoc group to continue its work on the GAP analysis and report to the full Council regularly on its process. This resolution becomes effective on publication as it is an administrative Council decision. . 1. AOB * Response to letter Theresa Swinehart on deferral ATRT4 * Response to letter Tripti Sinha on amendment recommendation 7 ccWG-Auction Proceeds 1. Next Council Meeting i. Meeting 204, April 2024 ii. Meeting 205, May 2024 iii. Meeting 206, June 2024 | ICANN80 1. Thank You and Welcome 1. Adjourn