GNSO New TLDs Public Forum
4 December, 14:00 - 16:30
Hotel Transamérica, São Paulo
The GNSO is organizing a special public forum at ICANN's São Paulo meeting on Monday, 4 December, 14:00 - 16:30, to provide an opportunity
for an in-depth, public discussion about the GNSO's Draft Final Report
on the Introduction of New Top Level Domains (new TLDs). The basis for
this discussion will be two documents:
the Draft Final Report on the Introduction of New Top Level Domains;
and the Introduction of New Top-Level Domains - ICANN Staff Discussion Points. The most important elements of this discussion are:
The GNSO's New TLD Committee will soon be posting the report for public comment, and will be soliciting input from interested stakeholders on a variety of questions. This forum, which will be web cast and transcribed, will provide an additional opportunity for stakeholders to provide input to the Committee's proposals for the selection criteria, allocation methods, contractual conditions, and other elements that should be used as part of the process for introducing new TLDs. A panel of Committee members will provide summaries on various aspects of new TLD introduction to encourage audience participation and broad-based input. This forum will be a critical opportunity for stakeholders to share specific recommendations and guidance on how ICANN could implement the GNSO Committee's recommendations on the introduction of new Tlds.
Agenda:
Introduction, Overview of Draft Final New TLDs Report - Bruce Tonkin
Panel:
Background Information
The Board agreed at the December 2005 Vancouver meeting to a policy development process that would facilitate the efficient introduction of new top level domains. The GNSO New Top Level Domains Committee has, during the last twelve months, conducted a comprehensive set of consultations to, in the first instance, develop appropriate terms of reference and then examine those Terms of Reference to arrive at consensus policy positions.
The Committee has published a wide range of draft positions which have been the subject of ongoing discussion through ICANN's stakeholder community. An archive of the Committee's previously posted work can be found at http://gnso.icann.org/issues/new-gtlds/.
The goal of the Committee has been to determine, with close reference to ICANN's Mission and Core Values, whether new top level domains should be introduced. Once that question was affirmed, the consideration of appropriate selection criteria, allocation methods and policies for contractual conditions could be developed.
It is expected that the Committee's Draft Recommendations will be the focal point of discussion at the Sao Paulo meeting through this New TLDs Forum and within ICANN's other Supporting Organisations and Advisory Committees.
After the Sao Paulo meeting, it is expected that the Committee's draft Final Report will be completed, posted for public comment and used to produce the Board Report in time for the ICANN Lisbon meeting in March 2007.