Dear All, Here is a note to update you on the meeting held today between GNSO Council leadership and ICANN policy staff. The meeting was held in person in Amsterdam, taking advantage of most of us either being here or relatively nearby. It was attended by me in my capacity as GNSO Council Chair together with Vice Chairs Wolf-Ulrich Knoben and Mason Cole as well as ICANN staff David Olive, Marika Konings, Lars and Glen de Saint Géry. We had intended to meet as soon as possible after Toronto in order to discuss and improve, where possible, the operation and organisation of the Council. We worked through a full agenda covering the following items: 1. Input & update from Staff Including understanding key staff roles & responsibilities and providing feedback on the organisation and functioning of the initial meetings since I have been in post as chair. 2. Effective operational management of the Council Including covering GNSO Councillor training development as well as effective meeting planning & operation. 3. Workload Management Review of existing approach including the use of the “pending Projects List” and the potential to include improvements such as an Action Item list covering shorter term commitments on a meeting to meeting basis. 4. Beijing Meeting Key issues in the planning and organisation the GNSO meetings in Beijing including confirming Mason as VC responsible. 5. Key GNSO Council Relationships Including effective working with relevant ICANN policy staff, facilitating work within the Council and, where appropriate, between the GNSO and other SOs and ACs As you are well aware, I am keen to ensure that our work as a GNSO Council is as effective and productive as possible and whose quality and quantity of output we can all be justifiable proud of. Today’s meeting was a very helpful face-to-face opportunity which we have taken advantage of in order to ensure that the Council leadership are positioned to be as effective as possible in working with one another and together with some of the key ICANN staff with whom we need to interact. Best wishes, Jonathan Jonathan Robinson Chair ICANN GNSO Council <mailto:jonathan.robinson@ipracon.com> jonathan.robinson@ipracon.com skype: jonathan.m.r