Dear All, Please find the draft agenda for the GNSO Council Meeting on Thursday 10th April 2014 at 14:00 UTC posted at: https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocouncilmeetings/Agenda+10th+April+20 14 and the motions are posted at: https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocouncilmeetings/Motions+10+April+201 4 Proposed Agenda for the GNSO Council Meeting 10 April 2014 This agenda was established according to the GNSO Council Operating Procedures approved 13 September 2012 for the GNSO Council and updated. <http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/op-procedures-13jun13-en.pdf <http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/op-procedures-13jun13-en.pdf%20> > For convenience: * An excerpt of the ICANN Bylaws defining the voting thresholds is provided in Appendix 1 at the end of this agenda. * An excerpt from the Council Operating Procedures defining the absentee voting procedures is provided in Appendix 2 at the end of this agenda. Meeting Times 14:00 UTC Coordinated Universal Time 14:00 UTC 07:00 Los Angeles; 10:00 Washington; 15:00 London; 16:00 Paris; 22:00 Perth; Dial-in numbers will be sent individually to Council members. Councillors should notify the GNSO Secretariat in advance if a dial out call is needed. Item 1: Administrative matters (5 mins) 1.1 Roll Call 1.2 Statement of interest updates 1.3 Review/amend the Agenda Note the status of minutes for the previous Council meeting per the GNSO Operating Procedures: . Minutes of the GNSO Council meeting 27 February 2014 will be posted as approved on xxxx 2014 . Minutes of the GNSO Council meeting 26 March 2014 will be posted as approved on xxxx 2014 Item 2: Opening Remarks / Review of Projects & Action List (10 mins) Review focus areas and provide updates on specific key themes / topics Include review Action List <https://community.icann.org/display/gnsocouncilmeetings/Action+Items> . Comments or questions arising. Item 3: Consent agenda (0 mins) [Confirmation of the NCPH election of Board Seat 14] Item 4: DISCUSSION - Specification 13 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement and the proposed incorporation of an additional clause (20 mins) The ICANN new gTLD Programme Committee (NGPC) has approved Specification 13 to the New gTLD Registry Agreement, see link <http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-new-gtld-annex-1 -26mar14-en.pdf> . However, this does not currently include a proposed clause allowing a so-called .Brand registry operator to designate a limited number preferred registrars for the TLD. The NGPC has approved the incorporation of the additional proposed clause (allowing a .Brand registry operator to designate a limited number of preferred registrars) but its implementation will not take effect until 45 days from the publication of this resolution in order to: (i) provide the GNSO Council with an opportunity to advise ICANN as to whether the GNSO Council believes that this additional provision is inconsistent with the letter and intent of GNSO Policy Recommendation 19 on the Introduction of New Generic Top-Level Domains; OR (ii) advise ICANN that the GNSO Council needs additional time for review, including an explanation as to why additional time is required. In this item, the Council will receive background information in order to fully inform the discussion and to plan the next steps. 4.1 - Background 4.2 - Discussion 4.2 - Next steps Item 5: DISCUSSION - Internet Governance Issues (20 mins) The transition of stewardship of the IANA function from the US government is now firmly on the GNSO's agenda and the Council must determine its role and function with respect to this. In this item, the Council will take the opportunity to pick up from the meeting in Singapore, including inputs into the public forum on Thursday and decide on any next steps. 5.1 - Discussion 5.2 - Next steps Item 6: Any Other Business (15 mins) 6.1 Submission of Council input to the call for Public Comment on ICANN Strategy Panels - Draft Reports 6.2 Submission of Council input to the call for Public Comment on ICANN Future Meetings Strategy Appendix 1: GNSO Council Voting Thresholds (ICANN Bylaws, Article X, Section 3) 9. Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, Annex A hereto, or the GNSO Operating Procedures, the default threshold to pass a GNSO Council motion or other voting action requires a simple majority vote of each House. The voting thresholds described below shall apply to the following GNSO actions: a. Create an Issues Report: requires an affirmative vote of more than one-fourth (1/4) vote of each House or majority of one House. b. Initiate a Policy Development Process ("PDP") Within Scope (as described in Annex A <http://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws#AnnexA> ): requires an affirmative vote of more than one-third (1/3) of each House or more than two-thirds (2/3) of one House. c. Initiate a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of GNSO Supermajority. d. Approve a PDP Team Charter for a PDP Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of more than one-third (1/3) of each House or more than two-thirds (2/3) of one House. e. Approve a PDP Team Charter for a PDP Not Within Scope: requires an affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority. f. Changes to an Approved PDP Team Charter: For any PDP Team Charter approved under d. or e. above, the GNSO Council may approve an amendment to the Charter through a simple majority vote of each House. g. Terminate a PDP: Once initiated, and prior to the publication of a Final Report, the GNSO Council may terminate a PDP only for significant cause, upon a motion that passes with a GNSO Supermajority Vote in favor of termination. h. Approve a PDP Recommendation Without a GNSO Supermajority: requires an affirmative vote of a majority of each House and further requires that one GNSO Council member representative of at least 3 of the 4 Stakeholder Groups supports the Recommendation. i. Approve a PDP Recommendation With a GNSO Supermajority: requires an affirmative vote of a GNSO Supermajority, j. Approve a PDP Recommendation Imposing New Obligations on Certain Contracting Parties: where an ICANN contract provision specifies that "a two-thirds vote of the council" demonstrates the presence of a consensus, the GNSO Supermajority vote threshold will have to be met or exceeded. k. Modification of Approved PDP Recommendation: Prior to Final Approval by the ICANN Board, an Approved PDP Recommendation may be modified or amended by the GNSO Council with a GNSO Supermajority vote. l. A "GNSO Supermajority" shall mean: (a) two-thirds (2/3) of the Council members of each House, or (b) three-fourths (3/4) of one House and a majority of the other House." Appendix 2: Absentee Voting Procedures (GNSO Operating Procedures 4.4 <http://gnso.icann.org/council/gnso-operating-procedures-22sep11-en.pdf> ) 4.4.1 Applicability Absentee voting is permitted for the following limited number of Council motions or measures. a. Initiate a Policy Development Process (PDP); b. Approve a PDP recommendation; c. Recommend amendments to the GNSO Operating Procedures (GOP) or ICANN Bylaws; d. Fill a Council position open for election. 4.4.2 Absentee ballots, when permitted, must be submitted within the announced time limit, which shall be 72 hours from the meeting's adjournment. In exceptional circumstances, announced at the time of the vote, the Chair may reduce this time to 24 hours or extend the time to 7 calendar days, provided such amendment is verbally confirmed by all Vice-Chairs present. 4.4.3 The GNSO Secretariat will administer, record, and tabulate absentee votes according to these procedures and will provide reasonable means for transmitting and authenticating absentee ballots, which could include voting by telephone, e- mail, web-based interface, or other technologies as may become available. 4.4.4 Absentee balloting does not affect quorum requirements. (There must be a quorum for the meeting in which the vote is initiated.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Local time between October and March, Winter in the NORTHERN hemisphere ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reference (Coordinated Universal Time) UTC 14:00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- California, USA (PDT <http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/na/pst.html> ) UTC-7+0DST 07:00 Iowa City, USA ( <http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC%E2%88%9206:00> CDT) UTC-5+0DST 09:00 New York/Washington DC, USA (EDT) UTC-4+0DST 10:00 Rio de Janiero, Brazil (BRST) UTC-3+0DST 11:00 Montevideo, Uruguay (UYST <http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/sa/uyst.html> ) UTC-3+0DST 11:00 Buenos Aires, Argentina (ART <http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/sa/art.html> ) UTC-3+0DST 11:00 London, United Kingdom (BST) UTC+0DST 15:00 Bonn, Germany (CET) UTC+1+0DST 16:00 Stockholm, Sweden (CET) UTC+1+0DST 16:00 Cairo, Egypt, (EET) UTC+2+0DST 16:00 Istanbul, Turkey (EEST) UTC+2+0DST 17:00 Ramat Hasharon, Israel(IST <http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/asia/ist-israel. html> ) UTC+2+0DST 17:00 Beijing/Hong Kong, China/Singapore (HKT ) UTC+8+0DST 22:00 Perth, Australia (WST <http://timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/au/wst.html> ) UTC+8+0DST 22:00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DST starts/ends on last Sunday of March 2014, 2:00 or 3:00 local time (with exceptions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For other places see http://www.timeanddate.com