Dear All, 

On 9 March, we launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify three individuals to serve as Independent Objectors (IOs) for the 2026 Round. The original deadline of 20 April was subsequently extended to 11 May. ICANN has undertaken several outreach efforts to promote the EOI, including a paid social media campaign and targeted communications to key groups. Despite these efforts, uptake has been a challenge. For context, the approach for IOs was discussed with the IRT during Meeting #173, following which ICANN shared the details of its planned approach in this email. 

Ensuring that the three IOs are identified, contracted, and trained is a prerequisite for String Confirmation Day to happen, which is when the objections filing window will open. As you are probably aware, we currently project String Confirmation Day to be around the end of October, although the exact timing will depend on several factors, including the number of applications received. While ICANN has built additional time into the timeline for procuring IOs, similar to other Requests for Interest and Proposal, we are addressing the uptake challenge in the near term to avoid any impact on the overall Program timeline.

In this context, we will make the following adjustments to the EOI:

1. Further extend the submission deadline to 1 June.
2. Expand the pool of potential candidates by: 
   1. Allowing firms, in addition to individuals, to serve as IOs. While we recognize the potential conflicts of interest concerns this may raise, we believe these will be mitigated by having three IOs; where one individual or firm is conflicted, another IO could review the relevant applications. 
   2. Removing the selection criterion requiring “[c]onsiderable experience and respect in the Internet community”.

Best regards,

Elisa