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--></style></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>Dear GNSO Councilors,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>Please see the attached Discussion Paper for your consideration and discussion during the GNSO Council meeting on 30 June at ICANN 56 in Helsinki.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>As you may recall, In September 2015, the Independent Examiner that had been appointed to conduct the GNSO organizational review published its Final Report. At its meeting in April 2016, the GNSO Council adopted, with one modification, the proposed Feasibility and Prioritization Analysis of the Independent Examiner’s recommendations that was prepared by the GNSO Working Party (see <a href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/resolutions#201604"><span style='color:black'>http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/resolutions#201604</span></a>). The Working Party had been formed to liaise between the GNSO, the Board’s Organizational Effectiveness Committee (OEC) and the Independent Examiner. The OEC considered the Final Report and the GNSO’s modified Feasibility and Prioritization Analysis at its meeting in May 2016, and is expected to recommend action by the Board on the GNSO organizational review in Helsinki.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>To prepare for implementation of the recommendations that are expected to be adopted by the ICANN Board, ICANN staff was requested to prepare a Discussion Paper for the GNSO. The discussion paper is intended to facilitate the Council’s discussion and subsequent agreement on a possible mechanism to develop and execute the implementation plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>The Discussion Paper is expected to be on the Council’s meeting agenda in Helsinki on Thursday, 30 June. The primary recommendation in this Discussion Paper is for this mechanism to be in the form of a Working Group and that following further Council discussion (including in Helsinki) the Council may be in a position to vote and adopt the charter for this Working Group (or other mechanism the Council may decide on) at its July meeting (assuming the Board adopts the OEC recommendations in Helsinki).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>Kind regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>Julie<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'>Julie Hedlund, Policy Director</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>