Dear Rudi, Anne, and SCI members, At its meeting on 21 July the GNSO Council passed a motion (https://community.icann.org/x/BAObAw) that creates and charters a new GNSO Review Working Group. In this motion the GNSO Council also directs the Standing Committee on Improvements Implementation (SCI) to complete the two tasks assigned to it by the GNSO Council (see further below). The motion notes that upon completion of these tasks, any new requests will revert to the GNSO Review Working Group for consideration. In addition, per the motion, following the completion of these two tasks the SCI will be disbanded as its work will have been superseded by the GNSO Review Working Group. As noted recently by staff, a Public Forum has been opened on the two current SCI tasks regarding proposed revisions to the GNSO Operating Procedures. It will close on 14 August, following which staff will produce a report on comments received, if any. The SCI then will finalize the proposed revisions and submit them for approval by the GNSO Council along with a motion on 22 August for Council consideration at its meeting on 01 September. Upon Council approval the revised GNSO Operating Procedures will be published and the SCI’s work will be completed. Staff have sent out a Call for Volunteers for the GNSO Review Working Group earlier today. I will forward this Call for Volunteers in a separate email. SCI members are encouraged to consider volunteering to participate in this Working Group. Per the Charter, the GNSO Working Group is responsible for developing an implementation plan for submission to the Board by end-December 2016, containing a realistic timeline for the implementation, definition of desired outcomes and a way to measure current state as well as progress toward the desired outcome for the GNSO Review recommendations adopted by the ICANN Board. The Charter also notes that the GNSO Review Working Group will be responsible for considering any new requests by the GNSO Council concerning issues related to the GNSO Council processes and procedures and to Working Group guidelines. It has been a pleasure to work with the SCI as Council Liaison and I look forward to helping to complete our final tasks. Thanks. Amr