Friends and Colleagues,

As part of our commitment to implement the findings of our FY18 Engagement Survey, and in line with ICANN’s Engagement Strategy in the Middle East to have more active participation from the Middle East in ICANN’s PDP, we have worked closely with GNSO Vice-Chair Rafik Dammak and our Policy Team colleagues at ICANN on a 1-day workshop to be held on 19 February 2019 right before the start of the Middle East DNS Forum 2019 in Dubai, UAE.

What is this About?

This is a 1-day training course tailored for certain community members who already take part in ICANN-related work and are looking to further develop their skills in policy making so that they can move to the next stage and become more involved in ICANN Policy Development Process (PDP).

The course will be led by a group of experienced speakers from both ICANN Org and Community who are directly involved in ICANN’s Generic Name Supporting Organization’s policy related work. The course will be conducted in English language.

Participants will be provided with a package of reading materials prior to the training course, and we kindly ask all participants to read the material in advance of the training.  

Course Objective

The objective of the course is to help participants better understand:

-             ICANN GNSO PDP and how it works;

-             Key ICANN gTLD-related policy issues currently under discussion;

-             How to actively engage in ICANN GNSO policy development work.

Who is this Course NOT for?

-             Newcomers or people with little knowledge about ICANN.

-             Community leaders or members who have been active in ICANN GNSO PDP work and related working groups.

Who is this Course for?

Potential future active ICANN participants from the Middle East region who:

-             have been engaging in various ICANN constituencies and groups, and are looking for opportunities to enhance their skills and elevate their engagement within ICANN;

-             are willing to commit more time and effort to become more actively engaged in ICANN GNSO PDP(s).

How to Apply?

Individuals who are interested in applying should submit a Statement of Interest (no more than 1000 words) to demonstrate:

-             Why they are interested in attending this course;

-             What current / previous ICANN experience they have;

-             How this course will help them become more involved in GNSO PDP(s).

Please submit your SoI to meac.swg@icann.org mentioning in the body of the email your FULL NAME as well as your EMAIL ID.

Selecting Participants

Course instructors will make the selection based on Statements of Interest submitted. Please note that the number of seats in the workshop is very limited.

Funding

Limited funds will be made available to cover travel and accommodation cost if needed by applicants.

Topics Covered

• ICANN mission and structure including GNSO structure
• What is the GNSO and how are GNSO Policies Made? Introduction to the GNSO, its stakeholder groups & constituencies and the GNSO Policy Development Process (PDP) 
• High-interest topics – GNSO policy ‘deep dive’
  • Topic 1: New gTLD subsequent procedures
  • Topic 2: Expedited Policy Development Process on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data
• Role play: Mock GNSO PDP / WG discussion

We will be accepting applications until Thursday 10 January 2019 at 23.59 UTC.

Thank you,

Rafik Dammak and Baher Esmat