Dear GNSO Council Members:

In relation to agenda item 3.1 (Establish Drafting Team (DT) for new Standing Committee) of the next Council meeting, ICANN Policy Staff would like to share the following points for consideration during your discussion:

• You may all recall that the concept of the Standing Committee derived from a CCT recommendation which read, ‘The CCT is strongly committed to the idea that the GNSO Council consider introducing a formal follow-up and/or tracking mechanism (e.g. Standing Committee) to ensure that the recommendations of the CCT as well as other Work Teams are realized in the coming months’.  
• As a result of further discussion in the Council’s Cartagena working sessions on this particular subject, the Council requested Drafting Team volunteers to develop a Standing Committee charter.  
• Staff suggests that, to help focus the DT’s work on a suitable Charter document, the GNSO Council might want to consider providing preliminary guidance concerning the purpose, scope, role, composition, etc., of the Standing Committee.  For example, is it the Council’s intention that the Standing Committee track/follow up on adopted GNSO Improvement recommendations or should its mandate also encompass operational issues arising from the implementation of the recommendations? 
• Alternatively, the GNSO Council could consider asking the DT, as its first task, to outline alternative approaches that a Standing Committee could take and submit them for Council review and discussion along with a recommendation. Following completion of that task, the Council could then select the most appropriate model, which would guide the DT’s charter development work.

As said, this is just some food for thought. We would be happy to answer any questions or provide further explanation on Thursday’s call.

With best regards,

Marika