Dear EPDP Team, The SSAC recently published SAC120: SSAC Input to GNSO IDN EPDP on Internationalized Domain Name Variants<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-120-en.pdf>. Please find the report attached (and you may also download it via the link above). The report mainly serves as a recap of discussion between SSAC members and the EPDP Team during the 13 January 2022 meeting<https://community.icann.org/x/iYH3Cg>. The report also re-emphasizes and expands on some of the key input from the SSAC members. SSAC Chair Rod Rasmussen’s cover note for the report is included below. Thank you for your review. Best Regards, Ariel == Dear Donna, The SSAC recently published SAC120: SSAC Input to GNSO IDN EPDP on Internationalized Domain Name Variants: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-120-en.pdf In this report, you will find the SSAC’s overall summary on its inputs regarding IDN variants as well as the responses we’ve already provided to the EPDP-IDN formally documented as an SSAC report. This report includes an excerpt of relevant IDNs EPDP charter questions, questions asked by the EPDP team in our last interaction, and the SSAC’s response. From the SSAC’s perspective, a variant management mechanism serves two purposes: to enhance security and stability of IDNs that have variants, and to promote an acceptable experience that meets the user expectations for those IDNs. To ensure security and stability of IDNs with variants, an IDN and its variants must be treated as a single package from a domain provisioning and life cycle management perspective. To promote an acceptable experience that meets the user expectations for those IDNs that have variants, variants of an IDN that are in actual use can be delegated. The SSAC advises a stringent approach in the beginning to ensure conservatism, and which may be relaxed over time, as the community gains experience with IDN variant TLD delegation and associated usability and manageability challenges. Please note, SAC120 does not contain any recommendations to the ICANN Board. This report documents our previous responses to the EPDP and records our views and considerations for the rest of the ICANN community. Cheers, Rod Rasmussen Chair, ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee