-----Original Message----- From: Bruce Tonkin Sent: Thursday, 22 December 2005 4:17 PM Subject: Timelines for the new gTLD policy development process To: Chair, ICANN Board From: Chair, GNSO Council Hello Vint, The GNSO Council, at its teleconference today (21 Dec 2005), voted to extend the public comment period (see http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-06dec05.htm) for the new gTLD policy development process from 9 Jan 2005 to 31 Jan 2005, in order to get more substantive comments. The intent is to encourage individuals and organisations to submit substantive papers on the topic, and arrange appropriate teleconferences where some of these papers can be presented to the GNSO. The GNSO Council also voted to extend the time available for constituencies to prepare position papers to 31 Jan 2005. It has been a long standing issue that the current timelines for the policy development process within the ICANN by-laws are unworkable for substantial policy issues, where wide consultation is required amongst people spread around the world. The independent review of the GNSO processes (see http://gnso.icann.org/reviews/gnso-review-sec4-22dec04.pdf) in Dec 2004 recommended that the process be revised. The GNSO Council is concerned that either the Board should endorse the approach taken by the GNSO Council in this instance, or perhaps a minor change could be made to the ICANN bylaws with respect to the policy development process that states that the timeline of a PDP may be changed on a case-by-case basis provided this is approved by a super-majority vote of the GNSO Council (or alternatively by a majority vote of the Board if that level of governance is desired). I request that this issue be considered for the ICANN Board meeting of 10 January 2006, and request that the Board provide a response back to the GNSO Council on this issue. Regards, Bruce Tonkin