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Monday, 23 December 2024

ICANN Community Digest

The ICANN organization Policy Development Support function publishes this twice-weekly digest

to help ICANN community groups track requests and follow updates.

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Do you have any ideas for improving the ICANN Community Digest?

Write to us at policyinfo@icann.org!

Table of Contents

ICANN82

· ICANN82 Newcomers Session Sign-Up

· ICANN82 Community Childcare Grants Program: Apply Now

Information Sharing

· NEW: Global Digital Compact Endorsement: ICANN's Position

· NEW: A Year of Progress: The New gTLD Program in 2024

· NEW: Reflections on 2024 and a New Chapter for ICANN

· NEW: ICANN Seeks Input on Updates to the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews

· NEW: ICANN Board Seeks Input on EPDP-IDNs Phase 2 Final Report

· NEW: Register for the IANA 2030 Strategy: PTI 2025-2030 Draft Strategic Plan Webinar

· NEW: ICANN Seeks Input on Proposed Language for Next Round Applicant Guidebook

· ICANN Opens Application Period for New gTLD Applicant Support Program

· ICANN Opens New gTLD Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program

· Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages

· ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers

🔥 Action Items 🔥

· TODAY: Call for Expressions of Interest: 2025 ICANN Nominating Committee Standing Committee Members

· ICANN Community Excellence Award: Now Accepting Nominations

· Call for SOs/ACs: Nominate Fellowship Mentors and Selection Committee Members

Public Comment

· NEW: Phase 2 Final Report on the EPDP-TDNs for ICANN Board Consideration

· NEW: Proposed Updates to the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews

· Continuous Improvement Program Framew [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]ork [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

· IANA 2030 Strategy: Draft PTI Strategic Plan covering 2025 to 2030

· Third Proceeding for Proposed Language for Draft Sections of Next Round AGB

· ICANN FY26-30 Operating & Financial Plan, ICANN/IANA FY26 Op Plans & Budgets

· Draft PTI FY26 Operating Plan and Budget

Events

· These events occur on 23 December 2024

ICANN82

ICANN82 Newcomers Session Sign-Up

Want to introduce your group’s work to ICANN82 Community Forum Meeting newcomers, including Fellowship and NextGen@ICANN Programs Participants? Sign up for a 30 minute session on 8-9 March, 2025. These outreach sessions are part of the ""Get To Know ICANN Community"" Onboarding Program for Newcomers and are the opportunity for every SO/AC to share information with the ICANN Meeting newcomers and highlight the important work that your group does within ICANN.

For any additional questions, please contact ICANN Fellowship Program Manager, Siranush Vardanyan at siranush.vardanyan@icann.org.

The deadline to sign up for a slot is December 30th, 2024

ICANN82 Community Childcare Grants Program: Apply Now

Grants of up to $750 per family are available for ICANN Public Meeting participants who meet the criteria, are bringing children, and will incur expenses associated with babysitting or local childcare services.

Deadline: Friday, 24 January 2025

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

Information Sharing

NEW: Global Digital Compact Endorsement: ICANN's Position

On 22 September 2024, the U.N. Summit of the Future adopted the Pact for the Future, including the Global Digital Compact [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net] (GDC). The Office of the U.N. Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology states [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net] that the vision of the GDC "refers to achieving the goal of 'an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe and secure digital future for all'." This aligns with ICANN's mission to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

NEW: A Year of Progress: The New gTLD Program in 2024

Over the past 12 months, the ICANN Board, community, and organization have collaborated to progress the implementation of the New gTLD Program: Next Round [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net] – projected to open for applications in April 2026.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

NEW: Reflections on 2024 and a New Chapter for ICANN

As 2024 comes to an end, ICANN is beginning a new chapter with Kurtis Lindqvist, our new president and CEO [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net], in the lead. This is a good time to reflect on all that ICANN has accomplished this year and look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

NEW: ICANN Seeks Input on Updates to the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews

Over the course of recent Specific Review cycles, the ICANN community, Board, and organization (org) identified areas that posed challenges to the ability of the reviews to effectively fulfill their purpose. To address these areas, ICANN org developed a series of process improvements and integrated them into an updated Draft Operating Standards for Specific Reviews. Updates to the Draft Operating Standards are focused on improving review scope setting and planning, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of review work, and incorporating best project management practices into the Specific Reviews process.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

NEW: ICANN Board Seeks Input on EPDP-IDNs Phase 2 Final Report

Following the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council's approval of the Phase 2 Final Report on the Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), the ICANN Board is seeking the community's input. The GNSO Council's approval of all 20 outputs, including 14 policy recommendations and six pieces of implementation guidance, obligates the Board to adopt the recommendations under the ICANN Bylaws, unless, by a vote of more than two-thirds, the Board determines that the policy is not in the best interests of the ICANN community or ICANN.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

NEW: Register for the IANA 2030 Strategy: PTI 2025-2030 Draft Strategic Plan Webinar

We invite the community to join us for a public webinar on 14 January 2025 at 16:00 UTC to discuss the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions strategy for 2025–2030. The webinar will review the IANA proposed strategic objectives designed to help Public Technical Identifiers (PTI) continue to provide secure and accountable management of the Internet's unique identifier systems.

NEW: ICANN Seeks Input on Proposed Language for Next Round Applicant Guidebook

Today, ICANN opened a new Public Comment proceeding. This is the third in a series of Public Comment proceedings that will gather input from the ICANN community on proposed language for selected sections of the Applicant Guidebook for the New gTLD Program: Next Round.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

ICANN Opens Application Period for New gTLD Applicant Support Program

ICANN has opened the application submission period for the Applicant Support Program (ASP), part

the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round. The ASP provides financial and

nonfinancial assistance to qualified, eligible entities who plan to apply for a new gTLD. The application

window will be open for 12 months.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

ICANN Opens New gTLD Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program

ICANN has opened the Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Program for the New Generic TopLevel Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round. The RSP Evaluation Program was created to streamline the evaluation of gTLD applications by separating the evaluation of the technical aspects of operating the gTLD from the application for the name.

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages

ICANN is working with the community to identify potential Applicant Support Program (ASP) applicants – especially in regions that are currently under-represented in ICANN. If you are interested in helping to raise awareness among your own contacts or communities, please use the materials in the Next Round Champions Toolkit [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net].

To stay up to date on the New gTLD Program: Next Round and ASP, join the mailing list: nextroundinfo@icann.org. ASP leads, targets, and ideas can be sent to engagement.newgTLDprogram@icann.org.

ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers

ICANNWiki is seeking volunteers to assist with creating and editing articles and content for the site. Do you want to help? Getting started is as simple as requesting an account [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]. Then, make sure to read the short content guide [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net] to get a feel for what belongs in the wiki. Also, feel free to take a look at some data source suggestions [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net] on where to find reliable data. Happy editing!

Action Items

TODAY: Call for Expressions of Interest: 2025 ICANN Nominating Committee Standing Committee Members

The NomCom Standing Committee shall be composed of five seats: four members and one ex-officio observer. The term of all four appointed members shall be three years.

Deadline: 23 December 2024

Read more. [danh45uab.cc.rs6.net]

ICANN Community Excellence Award: Now Accepting Nominations

The nomination period will close on 9 January 2025 at 23:59 UTC.

Call for SO/ACs to Nominate Fellowship Program Mentors and Selection Committee Members

ICANN invites its Supporting Organizations (SOs) and Advisory Committees (ACs) to nominate volunteers to serve as mentors in its Fellowship Program and to serve on the Fellowship Program Selection Committee. Each group is welcome to nominate one individual for each role.

Interested SOs/ACs should select their respective Fellowship Program mentor and Selection Committee representative no later than 31 January 2025 and notify ICANN Fellowship Program Manager Siranush Vardanyan at siranush.vardanyan@icann.org. Individual self-nominations will not be considered.

Mentors:

• Mentors generally must plan on a time commitment of approximately 30-40 hours before, during, and immediately after each ICANN Public Meeting. This includes extensive pre-meeting preparation, on-site support for their assigned fellows, and post-meeting reporting.

• Each mentor will serve a term that includes three consecutive ICANN Public Meetings, beginning with ICANN84 (from ICANN84 - ICANN86 inclusive).

• Mentors are expected to follow Fellowship Program guidelines to help ensure consistency in capacity development opportunities for fellows and to help fellows actively participate in ICANN's work.

• Mentors will receive travel funding support (if applicable).

Selection Committee Members:

• Members should plan on a time commitment of approximately 30-40 hours over four to five weeks for each Public Meeting.

• Selection Committee members will typically serve for two years, which encompasses six Public Meetings.

• Work for this role will begin in April 2025 to select fellows for ICANN84.

• Selection Committee members will not receive travel funding support.

For more information on the guidelines and expectations, please go here for additional details on the Mentorship program and here for additional details on the Selection Committee.

Mentors cannot serve on the Selection Committee while serving their terms as mentors.