Dear Council members, You and your communities will likely be interested in the latest letter sent by Board Chair Steve Crocker to new GAC Chair Thomas Schneider, responding to that part of the GAC advice in its London Communique in which the GAC commented that protections for Red Cross designations ought not to be conditioned on a PDP: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/crocker-to-schneider-03 nov14-en.pdf Pertinent parts of Dr Crocker¹s letter include the following excerpt: "While the GAC may participate in the policy development process, and has a role to ³provide advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN¹s policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues,² the GNSO has the authority to recommend substantive policies on topics that are within the scope of ICANN¹s mission statement, has potentially broad applicability to multiple situations or organizations, is likely to have lasting value or applicability, and will establish a guide or framework for future decision-making. The Board has concerns about the advice in the London Communiqué because it appears to be inconsistent with the framework established in the Bylaws granting the GNSO authority to recommend consensus policies to the Board, and the Board to appropriately act upon policies developed through the bottom-up consensus policy developed by the GNSO.² Dr Crocker¹s letter also serves to ³kick off² the prescribed Board-GAC consultation process envisaged in the ICANN Bylaws in instances where the Board disagrees with GAC advice. Cheers Mary Mary Wong Senior Policy Director Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN) Telephone: +1 603 574 4892 Email: mary.wong@icann.org