[council] FW: Regarding Timelines for the new gTLD policy development process

[Bruce Tonkin]

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Tonkin 
Sent: Thursday, 22 December 2005 4:17 PM
Subject: Timelines for the new gTLD policy development process

To: Chair, ICANN Board
From: Chair, GNSO Council

Hello Vint,

The GNSO Council, at its teleconference today (21 Dec 2005), voted to
extend the public comment period (see
http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-06dec05.htm) for the new
gTLD policy development process from 9 Jan 2005 to 31 Jan 2005, in order
to get more substantive comments.

The intent is to encourage individuals and organisations to submit
substantive papers on the topic, and arrange appropriate teleconferences
where some of these papers can be presented to the GNSO.

The GNSO Council also voted to extend the time available for
constituencies to prepare position papers to 31 Jan 2005.

It has been a long standing issue that the current timelines for the
policy development process within the ICANN by-laws are unworkable for
substantial policy issues, where wide consultation is required amongst
people spread around the world.  The independent review of the GNSO
processes (see
http://gnso.icann.org/reviews/gnso-review-sec4-22dec04.pdf) in Dec 2004
recommended that the process be revised.

The GNSO Council is concerned that either the Board should endorse the
approach taken by the GNSO Council in this instance, or perhaps a minor
change could be made to the ICANN bylaws with respect to the policy
development process that states that the timeline of a PDP may be
changed on a case-by-case basis provided this is approved by a
super-majority vote of the GNSO Council (or alternatively by a majority
vote of the Board if that level of governance is desired).

I request that this issue be considered for the ICANN Board meeting of
10 January 2006, and request that the Board provide a response back to
the GNSO Council on this issue.

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin