Lawrence,
If this is your opinion, I would advise you  to work with staff to submit a Motion to Council in a timely manner stating that the Council should direct the SPIRT to discuss both issues raised in the May 7 meeting and come back to Council with a Recommendation on each one.  In the SPIRT meeting, one member raised the procedural issue and questioned whether the SPIRT was properly discussing these issues at all.  Another member expressed concern that the SPIRT was developing solutions without authority from the Council to do so.   Again, the background on the issues would need to be summarized briefly in order for this to work to be assigned to the SPIRT by Council in order to propose a recommendation to Council.

You and I might both support the idea that the two issues are both Category 2 and that the SPIRT should deliberate and propose a solution to Council.  As to the second issue re ASP, I note the proposed solution is actually being put forth by ICANN itself so it's hard to see why ICANN Org is not bringing that issue to Council. .  However, it may be more efficient to have both issues addressed in the SPIRT as a preliminary matter, but that is a determination to be made at the Council level.

After reviewing the SPIRT meeting per your request, it strikes me that any issue that may be Category 2 or Category 3 should be specifically brought before Council for discussion re next steps.  Certainly the two issues raised in the May 7 SPIRT meeting both merit that Council discussion and should not be subject to a non-objection process on the question of whether the SPIRT is the proper place to debate and address the issue.  (For example, one SPIRT member stated the ASP issue was one that he imagined was not likely to have been addressed directly by the Sub Pro IRT ASP Subgroup but I assure you that it was.) 

So it seems to me that if you advocate moving these issues forward via the SPIRT and not requiring ICANN Org to raise them directly with Council, you should work with staff to submit a Motion to that effect which briefly summarizes the issues.

Thank you for your work and your time commitment as Council Liaison to the SPIRT.
Anne









Anne Aikman-Scalese
GNSO Councilor
NomCom Non-Voting 2022-2026
anneicanngnso@gmail.com


On Fri, May 8, 2026 at 2:31 PM Lawrence O. Olawale-Roberts via council <council@icann.org> wrote:
(Pardon me, as I sent this earlier to the wrong Council email)

Dear Anne,

Not only do i agree with your submission that SPIRT has ZERO authority to act on policy issues as is clearly stated in the charter, SPIRT’s leadership have clearly maintained this position to its members. However it is my belief that before a determination is made on any issue as to if it constitutes policy or not, the members should have an opportunity to fully discuss the issue and possibly interface with ICANN staff where necessary to make that determination which then reverts back to the GNSO Council especially where a determination is made that the issue raised is policy.

Likewise within the 72 hour window provided in the expedited process, where Council objects to giving its Conscent the matter up for discussion reverts to the standard process where the Council has more time to consider the request during its formal meeting. 

I am also in agreement with your submission that whilst the  SPIRT may discuss any issue brought before it under its Charter, where the proposed solution that is recommended touches on policy, it would come before Council for consideration on what the next steps should be.


As to the issue discussed at the SPIRT meeting, the method of bringing the issue before Council so that the GNSO Council according to the SPIRT's charter refers it to the SPIRT for further discussion and recommendation is what we have been delibrating upon here. Council members would not have an opportunity to be briefed on the matter let alone consult with their SG & C's if we do not approve this process by which matters from the SPIRT can be presented to the GNSO Council.


Hope this provides some clarity.


Lawrence



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From: Lawrence O. Olawale-Roberts <lawrence@microboss.org>
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2026 9:17:00 PM
To: Anne ICANN <anneicanngnso@gmail.com>
Cc: council@gnso.icann.org <council@gnso.icann.org>
Subject: Re: [council] Fw: Post Call | Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT) | Thursday, 07 May 2026
 
Dear Anne,

Not only do i agree with your submission that SPIRT has ZERO authority to act on policy issues as is clearly stated in the charter, SPIRT’s leadership have clearly maintained this position to its members. However it is my belief that before a determination is made on any issue as to if it constitutes policy or not, the members should have an opportunity to fully discuss the issue and possibly interface with ICANN staff where necessary to make that determination which then reverts back to the GNSO Council especially where a determination is made that the issue raised is policy.

Likewise within the 72 hour window provided in the expedited process, where Council objects to giving its Conscent the matter up for discussion reverts to the standard process where the Council has more time to consider the request during its formal meeting. 

I am also in agreement with your submission that whilst the  SPIRT may discuss any issue brought before it under its Charter, where the proposed solution that is recommended touches on policy, it would come before Council for consideration on what the next steps should be.


As to the issue discussed at the SPIRT meeting, the method of bringing the issue before Council so that the GNSO Council according to the SPIRT's charter refers it to the SPIRT for further discussion and recommendation is what we have been delibrating upon here. Council members would not have an opportunity to be briefed on the matter let alone consult with their SG & C's if we do not approve this process by which matters from the SPIRT can be presented to the GNSO Council.


Hope this provides some clarity.


Lawrence



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Lawrence Olawale-Roberts
Global President & Managing Director

Mobile: +234 8070892705, (0)8056 3333 97
Lawrence@microboss.org

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…collaboration to enhance communication. 

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From: Anne ICANN <anneicanngnso@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2026 7:52:37 PM
To: Lawrence O. Olawale-Roberts <lawrence@microboss.org>
Cc: council@gnso.icann.org <council@gnso.icann.org>
Subject: Re: [council] Fw: Post Call | Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT) | Thursday, 07 May 2026
 
Hi Lawrence,
I reviewed the SPIRT meeting.   I think both issues discussed in that meeting are Type 2 Non-Minor Operational Issues which have a material impact on applicants..  As to whether the Council wants to assign those issues to the SPIRT for deliberations, that determination should be made after presentation of a summary of the issues at the Council level.  Neither one of these issues should be the subject of a non-objection process or a "consent if no response in 72 hours" process.  

But of course SGs and Cs must have an understanding of these issues before the Council meeting on May 21. Otherwise, they will not have an opportunity to discuss the issues with their groups.  To my mind, Council needs to get the summary of the issues right away from the SPIRT and there will need to be a vote on whether to refer the issues to the SPIRT for deliberation and a recommendation for a solution to be brought back to Council. 

So, bottom line, it appears to me that all Type 2 and Type 3 issues should be presented to Council by the SPIRT to REQUEST AUTHORITY TO DELIBERATE on such issues.

Anne

Anne Aikman-Scalese
GNSO Councilor
NomCom Non-Voting 2022-2026


On Fri, May 8, 2026 at 10:58 AM Anne ICANN <anneicanngnso@gmail.com> wrote:
Lawrence,
If you have a revised form for transmission of matters to Council, please forward that ASAP.  The form should be revised to provide that NO MATTER INVOLVING A POLICY ISSUE may be subject to "non-objection" or "Council consent after 72 hours".  As to Category 2, and Operational Matter which has a material affect on applicants, I think it's ok for SPIRT to discuss that under its Charter, as long as the proposed solution that is recommended by SPIRT ends up before Council for approval.

Please forward the revised form right away.  Again, SPIRT has ZERO authority to deliberate on policy issues without full consideration of such issues at the Council level.
Anne

Anne Aikman-Scalese
GNSO Councilor
NomCom Non-Voting 2022-2026


On Thu, May 7, 2026 at 4:37 PM Lawrence O. Olawale-Roberts via council <council@icann.org> wrote:
Dear Council Colleagues,

I would like to draw our attention to the expedient need for Council to quickly decide on adopting the standard and expedited means by which issues seeking SPiRT's consideration are forwarded to them for work to start. Despite the SPiRT ratifying and approving the method by which an issue could be referred to Council for Conscent to have such a matter looked into my SPiRT, the fact that Council is yet to formally adopt a position on how SPiRT should "Alert" Council on a pending issue came to fore severally.

It is expedient the Council adopts a position on how it would choose to assign work to the SPiRT team going forward as the new gTLD round is now opened and active.

kindly take time to review the recording of the SPiRT's meeting held an hour back. I would follow-up with a proposal for our next Council meeting.

Regards.

Lawrence.

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Lawrence Olawale-Roberts
Global President & Managing Director

Mobile: +234 8070892705, (0)8056 3333 97
Lawrence@microboss.org

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…collaboration to enhance communication. 

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https://www.microboss.org | 

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This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and may be protected by legal, professional or other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not store it, copy it, re-transmit it,

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From: Julie Bisland via Gnso-spirt <gnso-spirt@icann.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:34:06 PM
To: gnso-spirt@icann.org <gnso-spirt@icann.org>
Cc: GNSO-Secs <gnso-secs@icann.org>
Subject: [Gnso-spirt] Post Call | Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT) | Thursday, 07 May 2026
 

Dear all,

 

All recordings for the Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT) call held on Thursday, 07 May 2026 at 20:00 UTC can be found on the agenda wiki page . You can also access via the GNSO Calendar 2026.

 

Agenda wiki page includes:

  • Attendance 
  • Audio recording
  • Zoom recording (including audio, visual, rough transcript, and chat.)
  • Agenda and Notes/Action Items

  

For additional information, you may consult the mailing list archives and the main wiki page.

 

Thank you.

 

Kind regards,

 

Julie

Policy Team Supporting the GNSO

 

 

 

 

 

 

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