Hello everyone,

Following from the discussion with Sarmad Hussein at the Buenos Aires meeting, please be informed that the IDN project team has now issued a Call for Experts to join the new Working Group to review the IDN Guidelines: see https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-07-20-en. They are asking for three GNSO members to the WG, which must be endorsed by their respective SO/ACs – and ideally applications should be sent in by 3 August.

I’d be happy to bring this up during AOB on the Council call this week, but in the meantime it would be good if you and your respective SG/Cs could think about who the GNSO could appoint. As I explained in Buenos Aires, this WG was supposed to build on a list of issues identified by the GNSO and the ccNSO; unfortunately, although a small group of community volunteers was formed in February, there has been no discussion or input provided by that group (which has been dormant). 

Nevertheless, one possibility is of course to endorse those volunteers from that small group should they indicate interest. Given the importance of this issue, we hope that the Council will give the matter due and timely consideration. 

Thanks and cheers

Mary