Hello Europe! As has been previously mentioned, the upcoming European ICANN International meeting in Lisbon is approaching fast (March 26-30 - http://www.icann.org/meetings/lisbon/). ICANN would like to provide for the European ALS community to come to Lisbon to finalise - at least - the Memorandum of Understanding between the European ALS community and ICANN and - ideally also - to conclude work on the Bylaws of the RALO. Whilst the Bylaws are in an advanced stage of work, there are still some areas where consensus has not yet been reached. What I would like to suggest to you as a plan of work is as follows: We should have a teleconference of all ALSes in the next couple of weeks to do the following: 1) Identify the remaining areas where work has to be done on the Bylaws; 2) Identify any areas with respect to the draft Memorandum of Understanding which need further review. The outcome of this teleconference will then give us the next steps with respect to both documents, and we can work during the remaining several weeks before Lisbon to further accelerate work, so that we can plan an agenda for meetings in Lisbon which gives time not only to finish the work on these documents but also to talk about the priorities of the EURALO in the coming year, and to work on policies currently under discussion in ICANN which the EURALO wishes to make representations about. I have attached a draft MoU to this email; it can also be found by navigating to www.euralo.org and choosing the RALO Organising Instruments page from the main menu. All European ALSes should have an account to login and edit the Wiki which is now the 'front page' of the euralo.org site (if you don't please let us know so we can get you an account). This draft incorporates the provisions of the Latin America and the Caribbean Islands' MoU, already agreed with ICANN, as well as some additional provisions from the current state of the Asia Pacific regional MoU (in the final stages of negotiation between the community now), and it allows for some of the specific needs identified by the European ALS community in the current draft Bylaws, without prejduging the outcome of some of the provisions in the Bylaws. I hope that the draft is seen as useful and that it may prove to be a document which is seen as largely acceptable - of course if the region wishes to choose differently it is entirely up to you, as always. -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart PO Box 32160 London N4 2XY United Kingdom UK Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011 USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135 mobile: +44 (7774) 932798 Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart FESTIVE GREETINGS! As per usual, in lieu of cards for friends and colleagues, I have made a donation in your name to Medecins Sans Frontieres, to help them provide medical care to those much less fortunate than ourselves.