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<BODY bgColor=#ffffff><A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-31jul09-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-31jul09-en.htm</A><BR>Public
Comment: Geographic Regions Initial Report<BR><BR>31 July 2009<BR>The Initial
Report of the community-wide working group reviewing ICANN's Geographic Regions
is now available for public comment. All members of the ICANN community are now
invited to review that document (<A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/geographic-regions/initial-report-geo-regions-review-wg-31jul09-en.pdf">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/geographic-regions/initial-report-geo-regions-review-wg-31jul09-en.pdf</A>
[PDF, 100K]) and share comments and observations with the community through 4
September 2009.<BR><BR>Background: <BR><BR>Geographic diversity is a fundamental
component of the ICANN organization. The ICANN Bylaws (Article VI Section 5)
currently define five geographic regions as Africa, North America, Latin
America/Caribbean, Asia/Australia/Pacific and Europe. <BR><BR>The ICANN
Geographic Regions were originally created to ensure regional diversity in the
composition of the ICANN Board and were subsequently expanded in various ways to
apply to the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), At-Large Advisory
Committee (ALAC) and the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO). An
ICANN Board resolution in 2000 directed Staff to assign countries to geographic
regions on the basis of the United Nations Statistics Division's current
classifications, and introduced the concept of "citizenship" in relation to the
definition of ICANN Geographic Regions. <BR><BR>Over time, the ccNSO has
developed concerns about the implementation of the ICANN Geographic Regions and
related representational issues. The ccNSO Council approved a resolution in 2007
recommending that the ICANN Board appoint a community-wide working group to
further study and review the issues related to the definition of the ICANN
Geographic Regions, to consult with all stakeholders and submit proposals to the
Board to resolve the issues relating to the current definition of the ICANN
Geographic Regions. <BR><BR>The Board determined at its meeting in Los Angeles
on 2 November 2007, that because any potential change to ICANN Geographic
Regions could have widespread effect in ICANN, the views of other Supporting
Organizations and Advisory Committees should be sought by the Board. The Board
asked the ICANN community, including the GNSO, ccNSO, the Address Supporting
Organization (ASO), GAC, and ALAC, to provide the ICANN Staff with input on the
ccNSO Council's resolution relating to ICANN's Geographic Regions - including
the proposal to appoint a community-wide working group to review the structure
of ICANN's present Geographic Regions and related issues, as suggested by the
ccNSO.<BR><BR>The community supported the concept of the working group and the
Board authorized its formation at its December 2008 Meeting (see - <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-07nov08.htm#_Toc87682556">http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-07nov08.htm#_Toc87682556</A>).<BR><BR>Explanation:
<BR><BR> The Board approved the Charter of the working group at its public
meeting in Sydney Australia (see - <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-26jun09.htm#1.2">http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-26jun09.htm#1.2</A>).
Copies of the Charter, in all six UN languages, are posted in the Public Comment
Forum Box (see - <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200909.html#geo-regions-review">http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200909.html#geo-regions-review</A>).
<BR><BR>The Charter authorized by the Board outlines a three-part process in
which the working group first prepares an Initial Report outlining the current
applications of ICANN's geographic regions in various ICANN structures and
processes and confirming the issues to be addressed by the working group during
its deliberations. That Initial Report is the document being posted
today.<BR><BR>According to the Charter, the Initial Report will be followed by
an "Intermediate Report", currently scheduled to be drafted and prepared by the
October 2009 Seoul ICANN meeting. A third "Final Report" that will include the
working group's recommendations (if any) is currently scheduled to be published
early next year.<BR><BR>Relevant Board Resolution, Bylaws and Background
Documents: <BR><BR>ICANN Bylaws Article VI, Section 5: <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm</A>
- VI-5 <BR>ICANN Geographical Regions - Final Report by the ccNSO Regions
Working Group For Submission to the ICANN Board: <A
href="http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/ccnso-final-report-regions-wg-240907.pdf">http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/ccnso-final-report-regions-wg-240907.pdf</A>
[PDF, 122K] <BR>Geographic Regions Review Working Group Charter: <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/geographic-regions/charter-26jun09-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/geographic-regions/charter-26jun09-en.htm</A>
<BR>The Process From Here: <BR><BR>At the end of this public comment forum
period, the ICANN Staff will provide a summary/analysis of the comments
submitted regarding the proposed charter document. That summary/analysis will be
shared with the community and the Working Group. The Working Group will review
the community input on the Initial Report to guide its deliberations and future
work on the Intermediate Report and Final Report documents.<BR><BR>Deadline and
How to Submit Comments: <BR><BR>The Staff is opening a 35-day public
consultation forum, from 31 July 2009 through 4 September 2009, and invites
community comments on this topic. <BR><BR>The formal Public Comment Forum Box is
located here: <A
href="http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200909.html#geo-regions-review">http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200909.html#geo-regions-review</A><BR><BR>To
submit comments: <A
href="mailto:geo-regions-review@icann.org">geo-regions-review@icann.org</A><BR><BR>To
view comments: <A
href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/geo-regions-review/">http://forum.icann.org/lists/geo-regions-review/</A><BR><BR>Staff
Responsible: Robert Hoggarth<BR><BR>Glen de Saint Géry<BR>GNSO
Secretariat<BR><BR><BR></BODY></HTML>