Dear WG members,

In accordance with the WG’s latest Work Plan, our Initial Report was submitted yesterday for publication and public comment. I’m pleased to inform you that the Public Comment Forum is now open on the ICANN website: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en. A link to the Forum has also been placed on ICANN’s Announcement page, so that anyone who accesses the ICANN website to follow recent developments will also see it: https://www.icann.org/news/announcements.

As is the case with other GNSO Working Groups, staff will compile a Public Comment Review Tool to assist the WG with its analysis of all the public comments that come in. The WG chairs will discuss when it might be desirable to begin this analysis, and notice of the start of those meetings will be sent out accordingly.

Following feedback received, the chairs have requested that staff clarify that the optional template being provided to assist commenters with structuring their input is an additional option only, and that comments submitted via the Forum are definitely very welcome. We have also added specific references throughout the template to correspond to specific Recommendations and Sections in the Initial Report, to facilitate easier review of the Initial Report.

Please note also that as the suggested 60-day period would have ended on a weekend, the Forum has been set to close on a weekday following that original date, thus making for a full 63-day public comment period.

Thank you all for your efforts, contributions and hard work in ensuring that a substantive report was completed and sent out for community input at this time. We look forward to continuing the work as the WG proceeds toward our Final Report!

Cheers

Mary