Please see below the notes/actions captured from the SCI meeting held on 21 April. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Staff will separately send a notice for the extension on the Consensus Call as requested below. The GNSO Secretariat also will send a notice for a call in two weeks on Thursday, 05 May at the usual time of 1800 UTC.

Kind regards,

Julie

Julie Hedlund, Policy Director

Notes/Actions from 21 April SCI Meeting:

1. Process Relating to Motions & Amendments

Discussion: There was a request from Amr Elsadr to extend the deadline of the Consensus Call through Monday, 25 April. There were no objections to this request. Staff suggested that both these revisions to the GNSO Operating Procedures and those that may result from the Chair/Vice Chair discussion could be combined in one Public Comment period. There were no objections to the suggestion.

ACTION ITEM: Staff will resend the consensus call with the extended deadline.

2. Chair/Vice Chair Elections:

ISSUE 2: Scenarios relating to the gap to be addressed when the Vice Chairs' terms end at the same time as that of the Chair, and no Chair is conclusively elected by that time.

Discussion: Proposal from IPC — even where a Vice Chair is continuing in his/her term, the relevant House should have the ability to appoint a different Interim Vice Chair that is otherwise eligible. The comment was that this could be an unnecessary complication.

SCENARIO 1: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, but both Vice Chairs are continuing on the Council.

Final Proposed Language: “In the case where no Chair is conclusively elected, the two Vice Chairs shall jointly oversee the Chair election and conduct Council business until such time as a new Chair is elected.”

SCENARIO 2: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, but one Vice Chair is continuing on the Council, while the other Vice Chair’s term on the Council is ending.

Final Proposed Language: “In the case where one of Vice-Chair's terms on the Council ends at the same time as the Chair, and no Chair is conclusively elected, the House with a vacant Vice-Chair position shall designate an Interim Vice Chair from within this House to join the continuing Vice Chair to oversee the Chair election and conduct Council business. The deadline for the vacant House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected."

SCENARIO 3: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected in the first round, and neither of the two Vice Chairs is continuing on the Council.

Final Proposed Language: “In the case where both Vice-Chairs’ terms on the Council end at the same time as the Chair, and no Chair is conclusively elected, this procedure would apply: Each House should designate a new or continuing Councilor from within its respective House, to temporarily fill the role of Vice Chair on an interim basis, not as an elected Vice Chair. The deadline for each House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected. The Designated Interim Vice Chairs will co-chair the Chair election and conduct Council business until such time as a Chair is conclusively elected. Once the election is completed their service in those roles would end. Candidates for Chair will not be eligible to serve as Designated Interim Vice Chairs, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. However, Interim Vice Chairs are not prohibited from being appointed as continuing Vice Chairs by their respective Houses following a successful Chair election."

SCENARIO 4: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, neither of the two Vice Chairs is continuing on the Council, and the Houses do not designate Interim Vice Chairs.

Final Proposed Language: “If both Houses should fail to temporarily fill the role of Vice Chair on an interim basis, the non-voting NCA will be designated Interim Chair to oversee the election and conduct Council business until such time as a Chair is conclusively elected. The deadline for each House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected."