[bc-gnso] Status Update: IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Implementation

["BC Secretariat" <secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Status Update: IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Implementation
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-09sep09-en.htm
9 September 2009

ICANN is pleased to provide the following status report on the progress of 
implementation of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process. Overall, the implementation 
is tracking to the project plan and it is planned to be submitted to the Board 
during the ICANN meeting in Korea, Seoul, 26-30 October 2009. Discussion of the 
implementation plan will continue during the Korea meeting and the plan can be 
amended if a change is indicated. Anticipating positive Board consideration, 
the process can be launch within a very small timeframe after the Seoul meeting 
(in the fourth quarter of 2009). 

The proposed Final Implementation Plan will be posted online for public review 
at the end of September 2009, and a new status update of the overall 
implementation will be provided prior to the Korea meeting. 

Implementation Update: 

DNS Stability Panel: Interisle has been contracted to form the DNS Stability 
Panel that conducts the technical string requirement evaluations for requested 
IDN ccTLDs. This includes a verification that the delegations of new TLD 
strings will not result in user confusion with any existing strings in the DNS. 
Interisle is currently in the process of forming the DNS Stability Panel for 
Fast Track Process String Evaluation and providing on-boarding material to 
panel members. 

Online Request System: the online system through which IDN ccTLD requests will 
be submitted is in the final stages of development and testing. The next three 
weeks will be used: (i) finalize the online content (ii) perform a legal review 
(iii) undertake a live test. As part of the live test ICANN has consulted with 
representatives of five countries and invited them to participate in testing of 
the system. Testing includes: submitting a test request in the system, 
processing / qualification by staff, providing feedback on the test to 
participants. These tests will run from the end of September through 9 October 
after which a new status report of overall Fast Track implementation will be 
released. 

Online IDN area: the IDN area online will be revised with an FAQ, factsheets, 
and a manual reference for use of the online request system. The new and 
improved site will be released prior to the Fast Track Process launch time. 

Linguistic Processes: there are a few aspects of the Fast Track Process that 
are related to linguists or require the advice or statements from experts in 
writing systems. An important piece of this relates to the requested string(s) 
as a meaningful representation of a country or territory name. UNGEGN has 
agreed to support Fast Track participants as needed with referrals to such 
expertise. The referrals will be provided through an ICANN point of contact and 
the method for requesting such expertise will be described in the proposed 
Final Implementation Plan. ICANN plans to support to those requiring linguistic 
assistance. 

Outstanding issues: several topics that has been discussed in public comment on 
implementation proposals of the Fast Track Process since the initial draft 
implementation plan was released on 23 October 2008. These include: (i) the 
form of relationship between an IDN ccTLD manager and ICANN, (ii) cost 
considerations regarding contribution to processing and TLD support costs, 
(iii) management of variant TLDs. Solutions to these issues have been 
discussed, and it is believed that current opinions or positions of each 
community segment is well understood. 

For questions, please contact Tina Dam, at ICANN, at: tina.dam@xxxxxxxxx.

Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
http://gnso.icann.org