[council] Letter from Steve Crocker to GAC Chair regarding GNSO/GAC role in gTLD policy development

[Mary Wong]

Dear Council members,

You and your communities will likely be interested in the latest letter sent
by Board Chair Steve Crocker to new GAC Chair Thomas Schneider, responding
to that part of the GAC advice in its London Communique in which the GAC
commented that protections for Red Cross designations ought not to be
conditioned on a PDP:
https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/crocker-to-schneider-03
nov14-en.pdf

Pertinent parts of Dr Crocker¹s letter include the following excerpt: "While
the GAC may participate in the policy development process, and has a role to
³provide advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of
governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between
ICANN¹s policies and various laws and international agreements or where they
may affect public policy issues,² the GNSO has the authority to recommend
substantive policies on topics that are within the scope of ICANN¹s mission
statement, has potentially broad applicability to multiple situations or
organizations, is likely to have lasting value or applicability, and will
establish a guide or framework for future decision-making. The Board has
concerns about the advice in the London Communiqué because it appears to be
inconsistent with the framework established in the Bylaws granting the GNSO
authority to recommend consensus policies to the Board, and the Board to
appropriately act upon policies developed through the bottom-up consensus
policy developed by the GNSO.²

Dr Crocker¹s letter also serves to ³kick off² the prescribed Board-GAC
consultation process envisaged in the ICANN Bylaws in instances where the
Board disagrees with GAC advice.

Cheers
Mary

Mary Wong
Senior Policy Director
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN)
Telephone: +1 603 574 4892
Email: mary.wong at icann.org




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