- Npoc-discuss - lists.icann.org

Re: [Npoc-discuss] [NCSG-PC] Applicant Support Handbook
by Emmanuel Vitus March 12, 2024

March 12, 2024

Thanks, @Manju, for the insights! Just got back to France and dug into the ASP Handbook. Noticed a couple of sticky points for non-commercial groups. @Tomslin Samme-Nlar <mesumbeslin(a)gmail.com>, please do we have any plans to sync up on our comments? Maybe a quick call after the penholder @Bolutife Adisa <adisabolutifeo(a)gmail.com> gathered our thoughts? The deadline's creeping up, and we've got some important voices to represent :). Below are suggested brainstorming ideas to enhance our submission: - *Financial and non-financial support clarity** (Section 2.1, Pages 6-7): *While the handbook outlines various forms of support, the criteria for eligibility and the process for accessing certain supports (like bid credits or multipliers, and reduced Registry Operator fees) are pending Board consideration and research results. *Possible c**ontentious point**:* This uncertainty could disadvantage non-profit organizations which require clear information to plan their applications. *Comment:* Clearly define all forms of support, ensuring transparent criteria are set early in the process to aid in planning and application preparation. - *Eligibility criteria for non-profits and social impact organizations (Sections 5.5.1, 5.5.4, Pages 19-23):* The detailed criteria for eligible entities are comprehensive; however, the requirement for extensive documentation and the need to demonstrate a direct social impact or public benefit could be burdensome for smaller non-profits or newly established social enterprises. *Possible c**ontentious point**:* The documentation and proof required might be challenging for organizations with limited resources. *Comment:* Introduce flexibility in the documentation requirements and consider alternative evidence of impact and benefit that is easier for smaller entities to provide (Especially those from the Global South). - *Language and Accessibility (General observation across the document):* The handbook is detailed and likely to be available primarily in English, which could pose a barrier to non-English speakers (*bearing in mind that 81% of the world's population does not speak English*). *Possible c**ontentious point**:* The complexity of information and the language barrier may discourage or disadvantage non-English speakers. *Comment: * Provide the handbook and related resources in multiple UN languages and consider translation support for application submissions. Offering webinars or training in various languages could also help bridge the gap. ( *Stephanie made a suggestion during the meeting in PR, we may have to consider that in our submission*) . - *Clarifying questions and communication timelines (Section 7.3, Page 32): *The process for clarifying questions allows for interaction between applicants and the Support Applicant Review Panels. However, the timeline for responses and the potential for additional questions could extend the evaluation period. *Possible c**ontentious point: *Non-commercial stakeholders (applicants) with limited resources may find it challenging to respond promptly, especially if clarifications require additional documentation or specialized input. *Comment:* Establish clear guidelines for the clarifying questions process, including a fixed timeline for responses and a limitation on the number of follow-up questions. Provide examples of common queries to help applicants prepare in advance. - *General business due diligence and background screening (section 5.1, pages 12-13): *The necessity for legal compliance checks and background screenings is vital in upholding the credibility of applicants. Yet, the thoroughness of these procedures may unintentionally exclude organizations from areas where obtaining legal documents is challenging due to intricate regulatory systems. (*Drawing on years of experience in the nonprofit** sector across Africa, I've observed that standard criteria set by international organizations often sideline businesses and organizations in the Global South when verifying documents. It's imperative for ICANN to collaborate with local agencies that can authenticate documentation while respecting the regional context and intricacies. For instance, Google employs TechSoup <https://www.techsoupafrica.org/en> in Africa to validate documents for non-profit beneficiaries. A similar approach by ICANN, embracing alternative verification methods, would be beneficial*). *Possible c**ontentious point**:* Strict adherence to these criteria without consideration for local contexts might exclude worthy applicants from challenging environments. *Comment:* Introduce a consideration clause for entities facing systemic barriers in obtaining the required legal compliance documentation, allowing for contextual evaluations through local/regional third parties. My 2 cents. Cheers, Emmanuel Le sam. 2 mars 2024 à 22:17, 陳曼茹 Manju Chen <manju(a)nii.org.tw> a écrit : > Hi all, > > Below are the observations I shared during the Policy Meeting > > Generally I felt the process was indeed improved from the last round. Some > improvements I noticed include: > > - Applicant could still apply for the strings if they are not > qualified for Applicant Support. > - Applicant have to meet the criteria of 'Public Responsibility Due > Diligence'' (different from the Public Interest criteria from the last > round). > - Enhanced diversity in terms of eligibility requirements. (cause, > size of entity, indegeous groups, non-profit...) > - Updated financial stability criteria from the 'financial > capabilities' criteria. > > However, there are also still a lot of blank space in the handbook, mostly > regarding what kind of support a successful applicant can get. > It is still unclear if a successful applicant will be able to access to > these support: > > - An ASP training program (Pending Board consideration of the > community’s supplemental policy recommendation (17.2) > - Access to Application Counselors (Pending Board consideration of the > community’s supplemental policy recommendation(17.2) > - A [50-85%] reduction in New gTLD Program application and evaluation > fees [which fees TBC] > - A [bid credit or multiplier- TBD pending research results] applied > to supported applicants participating in an ICANN Auction. > - Reduced or waived base Registry Operator fees, should the supported > applicant prevailing the gTLD program valuation and proceed to contracting > and delegation. (Pending Board consideration of the community’s > supplemental policy recommendation (17.2) > > > I was actually surprised to see the last one as I remember it didn't make > it to the SubPro final recommendations. I do recall a recent GAC advice > about this though, so probably that's why. > > One thing I found interesting was that they strongly advise the applicant > against revealing the strings they intend to apply when applying for > applicant support. I don't know if this was the same for the last round. I > was not particularly convinced by the reasons given in the Handbook and am > curious of what you guys think. > > Another noticeable change is that the applicant will be evaluated on a > pass/fail basis according to required criteria (public responsibility due > diligence, financial need, and financial stability). This is very different > from the scoring methods from the last round. > > > Some observations, happy to hear what others think (: > > > Best, > Manju > _______________________________________________ > NCSG-PC mailing list > NCSG-PC(a)lists.ncsg.is > https://lists.ncsg.is/mailman/listinfo/ncsg-pc >

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NPOC Membership Meeting Starting in 20 Minutes
by Caleb Olumuyiwa Ogundele March 5, 2024

March 5, 2024

Dear NPOC Members, Please join the NPOC Membership session. We have interesting policy topics to discuss and we'd love to have you join us. 1. Juan Manuel Welcome - 2 minutes 2. Matthias M. Hudobnik (SSAC Member) - Domain Names for Private-use (20 min) 3. Questions (5 min) 4. Kathy Kleinman - Applicant Support Program (20 min) 5. Questions (5 min) 6. Administrative matters (10 min) -Summary of Action Items (Bolutife) -ALAC’s meeting results 7. AOB To help reduce session disruptions, please do not share Zoom participation links on social media. However, we encourage you to share YouTube livestream links (when available) on social media. To ensure transparency of participation in ICANN’s multistakeholder model, please remember to sign in to Zoom sessions using your full name (e.g. First Name + Last Name/Surname). • Zoom Meeting Link: https://icann.zoom.us/j/94496729062?pwd=cVBwNTdZNGZRNG9ZQ3NSWnhxeFpldz09 • Zoom Meeting ID: 944 9672 9062 • Zoom Meeting Passcode: 6Cf#E4N*Z! • Zoom International Dial-In Numbers: https://icann.zoom.us/u/aezSQH7bu0 • Zoom Phone Passcode: 070 260 5980 -- *Caleb Ogundele* Email: muyiwacaleb(a)gmail.com

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ICANN79 NCPH Work Session | Tuesday, 05 March
by Andrea Glandon March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

Hello all, I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the NCPH Work Session taking place on Tuesday, 05 March 2024 at 10:30 AST. NCSG and CSG will be meeting for a collaborative session. https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a1CP/gnso-ncph-work-session Thanks! Andrea Glandon Policy Operations Coordinator Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Skype ID: acglandon76

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NPOC - Testing post support.
by Jean F. Quéralt March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

Dear NPOC members, As part of NPOC's improvements on communication, we will be ensuring a number of posts on social media on a regular basis. Note that we are also rolling out a new visually-consistent type of communications, in order to increase NPOC's branding. These posts will cover a wide range of topics from updates on NPOC's work to general information about ICANN, upcoming meetings and pretty much anything we can think of. *Action: If you have some topic you'd like us to inform about, let us know!* Starting with ICANN79, currently happening in San Juan, Puerto Rico, we would like to invite you to give us feedback and support our posts by liking them, reposting them and commenting on them. *Action: Please check the links below, visit them and Like/Repost/Comment on them.* https://twitter.com/NPOC_ICANN/status/1764559624936779878 https://www.facebook.com/npocicann/posts/pfbid0rrDZkgfvZdVBJFkrtCCdZLwtjRxD… https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7170330440954830848 This will help us improve our communications and serve you better on our work in ICANN. Best regards, Jean F. Queralt NPOC - Comms Chair Founder & CEO - The IO Foundation <http://www.TheIOFoundation.org> Book a meeting <http://TIOF.Click/BookJFQ> (30 minutes) -- **DISCLAIMER** *The content of this message, which may contain personal or sensitive data, is confidential. If you have received it by mistake, please inform the sender by replying to the email and then permanently delete the message, including any attachments. It is forbidden to copy, forward or in any way reveal the content of this message to anyone. The integrity and security of this email cannot be guaranteed over the Internet and, therefore, the sender will not be held liable for any damage caused by the message.*

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Welcome to ICANN 79
by Caleb Olumuyiwa Ogundele March 3, 2024

March 3, 2024

Dear NPOC Members, ICANN 79 is here again! A warm welcome to San Juan both physically and virtually. There are lots of exciting sessions holding during this #ICANN79 meeting that you can be part of. But first, I would like to highlight the following meetings you might find interesting: GNSO: Transfer Policy Review PDP Working Group (1 of 2) <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a15v/gnso-transfer-policy-review-pdp-worki…> GNSO: Transfer Policy Review PDP Working Group (2 of 2) <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a15y/gnso-transfer-policy-review-pdp-worki…> GNSO: NCSG Policy Committee Work Session <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a15n/gnso-ncsg-policy-committee-work-sessi…> Get to Know the ICANN Community: NCSG Networking Event <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a15I/get-to-know-the-icann-community-ncsg-…> GNSO: NCSG Policy Committee Work Session <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a15n/gnso-ncsg-policy-committee-work-sessi…> How it Works Session #1: All About Numbers <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a16i/how-it-works-session-1-all-about-numb…> Get to Know the ICANN Community: NCSG Networking Event <https://icann79.sched.com/#> GNSO: NCSG Membership Work Session <https://icann79.sched.com/#> GNSO: CPH DNS Abuse Community Outreach <https://icann79.sched.com/#> Q&A with ICANN org Executive Team <https://icann79.sched.com/#> Joint Session: ICANN Board and NCSG <https://icann79.sched.com/#> GNSO: NPOC Membership Work Session <https://icann79.sched.com/#> ICANN Board Public Meeting <https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a1B3/icann-board-public-meeting> *NPOC on Social Media:* Please note that It is important NPOC's social media presence is felt with your tweets and Facebook posts. This is a very good way to engage and try to influence NPOC's mission in all the ongoing conversations and let our voices be heard. For those participating remotely, you can create awareness by posting a photo of yourself attending ICANN79 Virtual Meeting sessions from your location and sharing it using the *#ICANN79* hashtag and *#NPOC* as well as the hashtag of the city you are participating from. Help us create a virtual meeting photo gallery. Look forward to seeing you all in San Juan and online! Don't forget that the schedules are already online here: https://icann79.sched.com/?searchstring=NPOC *Twitter handles to follow*: @NPOC_ICANN @NCSG_ICANN @ICANN_GNSO @ICANN https://twitter.com/NPOC_ICANN/ <https://twitter.com/NPOC_ICANN/status/1190709134330662914?s=19> *What to do:* - Draft catchy phrases - Share pictures - Retweet awesome tweets - share remote meeting links, updates and summaries - ask questions - Share useful links and tips You can also reply to this message with your Twitter handle and hashtags to follow. *Some Remote Participation Tips:* To help reduce session disruptions, please do not share Zoom participation links on social media. However, we encourage you to share YouTube Livestream links (when available) on social media. To ensure transparency of participation in ICANN’s multistakeholder model, please remember to sign in to Zoom sessions using your full name (e.g. First Name + Last Name/Surname). *Interpretation Service:* • Languages Available: *English, French, Spanish* • Zoom Interpretation: ICANN provides interpretation within the Zoom application. To use this feature, please download Zoom.: We look forward to having you join us. -- *Caleb Ogundele* Email: muyiwacaleb(a)gmail.com

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REMINDER-Meeting Invitation | NCSG Special Event: RDRS Part 2 | Monday, 26 February 2024 at 15:00 UTC
by Andrea Glandon Feb. 26, 2024

Feb. 26, 2024

Hello NCSG Membership, Please join us for the NCSG Special Event...RDRS: What is it and who the [bleep] is getting my personal domain name registration data and when? (Part 2) Monday, 26 February 2024 at 15:00 UTC for 90 minutes. Find your time here [timeanddate.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime…>. Join Zoom Meeting: https://icann.zoom.us/j/96976378542?pwd=WUN0UFhhZ1hXNXAzcVRYTWdVcnRlZz09 [icann.zoom.us]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann.zoom.us/j/96976378542?pwd=WUN0UFhh…> Meeting ID: 969 7637 8542 Passcode: GeC&nZD^3a One tap mobile +13017158592,,96976378542#,,,,*4889187568# US (Washington DC) +13126266799,,96976378542#,,,,*4889187568# US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 969 7637 8542 Passcode: 4889187568 Find your local number: https://icann.zoom.us/u/abpMQmODeH [icann.zoom.us]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann.zoom.us/u/abpMQmODeH__;!!PtGJab4!9…> Thank you. Andrea Glandon Policy Operations Coordinator Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Skype ID: acglandon76

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ICANN for Beginners: Join the Policy and Advice Development Webinar
by Caleb Olumuyiwa Ogundele Feb. 24, 2024

Feb. 24, 2024

Dear NPOC Members, We just wanted to highlight this webinar for our members and to encourage you all to participate and attend. The webinar, "ICANN for Beginners: Policy and Advice Development," will introduce newcomers to policy and advice development at ICANN. Participants will learn how policy is created at ICANN, why this is important for a functioning Internet, and how they can contribute. The ICANN for Beginners Virtual Program comprises a series of interactive webinars held via Zoom and provides participants with an overview of the global Internet ecosystem. The program also shows newcomers how to join the global community and help shape Internet governance. Moderated by experienced ICANN staff members, the program aims to broaden participants' knowledge about and foster participation at ICANN. How to Participate Participating is easy, free, and open to all. No prior technical knowledge or experience is necessary. The "ICANN for Beginners: Policy and Advice Development" webinar will be offered on two dates. Simply register for the one that suits you best: - 3 April 2024 at 14:00 UTC Register <https://icann.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sCC6mVgFQvKhye7S0Ue0sQ> to attend - 4 April 2024 at 6:00 UTC Register <https://icann.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5hXtb400SdyOgSyG6EgGSQ> to attend Closing date to register: 2 April 2024. The webinars are in English only. Recordings will be posted on the Beginners Virtual Program website <https://www.icann.org/en/beginners/virtual-program-webinar-series> after the webinars. For inquiries, please email: beginners(a)icann.org. -- *Caleb Ogundele* Email: muyiwacaleb(a)gmail.com

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ICANN79 NPOC & ALAC Session
by Andrea Glandon Feb. 22, 2024

Feb. 22, 2024

NPOC will be meeting with ALAC at ICANN79 on Monday, 04 March 2024, 13:15-14:15 local time. The Zoom room will be available at this link 24 hours before the scheduled time: https://icann79.sched.com/event/1a1Ct/at-large-leadership-working-session

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Recordings | NCSG Special Event: RDRS Part 1 | Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 15:00 UTC
by Andrea Glandon Feb. 21, 2024

Feb. 21, 2024

Dear all, Please find below the recordings for the NCSG Special Event: RDRS Part 1 session that was held on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 15:00 UTC. This information is also available here<https://community.icann.org/x/roUQAw> along with the slides from ICANN org’s presentation. Zoom Replay + chat: https://icann.zoom.us/rec/play/i2orr_Nk-UNjDJH1wcPvNuX5R7S0VPErvyh3SuY5BGbl… Audio Replay: https://icann.zoom.us/rec/play/fN0PDmz-7Ls6wBSCaYJEz1JueDXKRBtwvpM5lEblo_OQ… Thank you! Andrea Glandon Policy Operations Coordinator Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Skype ID: acglandon76

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Invitation and updates for ICANN79: Policy engagement & participation
by Emmanuel Vitus Feb. 16, 2024

Feb. 16, 2024

Dear NPOC Members, I trust this message finds you well. As ICANN79 approaches, I extend a warm invitation to register <https://meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann79/> for the event if you haven't already done so. Please ensure to do this at your earliest convenience. Amidst our ongoing policy efforts at NPOC, I wish to highlight two key initiatives FYA during the upcoming meeting: 1. *Transfer Policy Review Policy Development Process (PDP): * The group is gearing up to seek input from the ICANN community on draft recommendations concerning Change of Registrant (COR) and post inter-registrar transfer locks. I encourage you to participate in their meetings during ICANN79 on Saturday, March 2nd, from 13:15–14:30 and 15:00–16:00 UTC-4. 2. *Expedited Policy Development Process for Internationalized Domain Names Working Group (EPDP-IDNs):* This group is nearing the completion of its Phase 2 Initial Report, including preliminary recommendations regarding second-level variant management. Join the EPDP-IDNs session on Saturday, March 2nd, from 09:00–10:00 to delve deeper into this EPDP and contribute our perspectives for when the public comment period opens. Also, please mark your calendars for the Membership Session NPOC and the GNSO Council meetings, including joint sessions, throughout ICANN79. These sessions offer invaluable insights into ongoing policy development efforts and updates. Most Council working sessions will occur on Sunday, March 3rd, from 9 am to 2 pm local time, with the council meeting scheduled for March 6th from 1 pm to 3 pm. Additionally, there will be joint sessions with the ICANN Board on March 4th from 3 pm to 4 pm and with the GAC on March 6th at 9 am. For our members who are new to this environment, I encourage you to participate in the prep week activities scheduled for February 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Please register on the meeting website <https://meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann79/>, review the schedule and ensure to add these sessions to your calendar. Prep Week sessions will be conducted in English and will feature remote simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. Lastly, I urge you to explore the Open proceedings for public comment <https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment>. Should you wish to contribute, feel free to reach out to me directly for guidance. Looking forward to connecting with you all during the prep week and ICANN79. *PS: Please note that all mentioned times are in UTC-4.* Warm regards, Emmanuel Vitus NPOC Policy Chair

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