Dear Councillors, please find the motion (the same text is attached in DOCX) *Motion to initiate the Expedited Policy Development Process on Internationalized Domain Names and adoption of the EPDP on IDNs Charter * Submitted by: Maxim Alzoba Seconded by: TBD Whereas, 1. On 14 March 2019, the ICANN Board approved a set of recommendations <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/idn-variant-tld-implementation-2018-07...> developed by ICANN org on how to allocate Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) variant TLD labels. The ICANN Board requested that the GNSO and ccNSO take into account those IDN variant TLD recommendations while developing their respective policies to define and manage IDN variant TLDs for the current TLDs and future TLD applications, while keeping each other informed of the progress in developing the relevant details of their policies and procedures to ensure a consistent solution for IDN variant gTLDs and IDN variant ccTLDs. 2. On 26 June 2019, the GNSO Council established a Scoping Team <https://community.icann.org/display/IDNST> to develop recommendations for the GNSO Council’s consideration on how to address the IDN variant TLD recommendations, as well as issues in the Final Proposed Draft version 4.0 of Internationalized Domain Name ("IDN") Implementation Guidelines <https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2018-05-10-en> (“IDN Guidelines v. 4.0”), for which the ICANN Board had agreed <https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/chalaby-to-drazek-04jun...> to the GNSO Council request <https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/file/field-file-attach/drazek-to-...> to defer its adoption. The Scoping Team met between 15 August 2019 and 12 December 2019. 3. On 23 January 2020, the GNSO Council discussed the Final Report <https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/file/field-file-attach/idn-scopin...> from the Scoping Team, which suggested tackling IDN related issues in two tracks: Operational Track and Policy Track. The Policy Track would be tasked to deliberate on: i) the *definition* and *management* of IDN variant TLDs, and ii) the change process of the IDN Guidelines and any policy issues related to the IDN Guidelines v. 4.0 identified by the Operational Track Team (consisted of members in the GNSO Contracted Parties House) and agreed upon by the IDN Guidelines Working Group. 4. On 26 January 2020, the ICANN Board approved the Recommendations for the Technical Utilization of the RZ-LGR <https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/rz-lgr-technical-utilization-rec...> on how to employ the RZ-LGR <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/root-zone-lgr-2015-06-21-en> to determine valid IDN TLDs and their variant labels. The ICANN Board requested that the GNSO and ccNSO take into account those RZ-LGR Technical Utilization recommendations while developing their respective policies to define and manage IDN variant TLDs for the current TLDs and future TLD applications. 5. On 21 October 2020, the GNSO Council agreed to establish a Drafting Team <https://community.icann.org/x/CYAmCQ> to develop both a draft charter and an Initiation Request for an EPDP on IDNs. The GNSO Council agreed with the Scoping Team’s suggestion that an Issue Report is likely not needed in order to initiate the Policy Track work, and an EPDP is the desired approach. The Drafting Team met between 8 December 2020 and 4 May 2021. 6. On 10 May 2021, the Drafting Team submitted the draft EPDP charter and the Initiation Request for the GNSO Council’s consideration. 7. On 20 May 2021, the Drafting Team Chair provided a briefing to the GNSO Council on the content of the draft charter prior to the Council vote to initiate the EPDP and adopt the charter. RESOLVED, 1. The GNSO Council hereby approves the Initiation Request[1] <#_msocom_1> for the EPDP on IDNs and as such initiates the EPDP. 2. The GNSO Council approves the Charter [2] <#_msocom_2> of the EPDP on IDNs. 3. The GNSO Council directs staff to: (a) communicate the results of this motion to the GNSO SG/Cs as well as ICANN SO/ACs and invite them to identify Members for the working group following the working group composition described in the Charter; (b) communicate the results of this motion to the ICANN Org GDS Team and invite them to identify at least one (1) staff liaison for the working group; (c) launch a call for expressions of interest seeking interested candidates to Chair the EPDP on IDNs; and (d) solicit candidates for the GNSO Council liaison to the EPDP on IDNs. ------------------------------ link to be inserted after document is published on the GNSO website link to be inserted after document is published on the GNSO website P.s: please be aware that the staff will circulate the Charter and EPDP Initiation Request on the Council list shortly today. -- Sincerely Yours, Maxim Alzoba Special projects manager, International Relations Department, FAITID Current UTC offset: +3.00 (Moscow)