[bc-gnso] .Joint ICANN Board - GAC Statement: Face to Face in Singapore agreed

[Marilyn Cade <marilynscade@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear BC Members
 
This will advise that the Board and GAC will meet face to face, probably 
Sunday.  I will be revising BC plans accordingly, so that BC members can sit in 
the meetings. I am also writing the Chair of both Board and GAC to request that 
the meeting be open to observers. 
 
Marilyn Cade, BC Chair
 
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 http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22may11-en.htm

 
 
Joint ICANN Board - GAC Statement: Teleconference on New gTLDs
 22 May 2011
The ICANN Board and ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) held another 
productive meeting to discuss the limited number of remaining issues related to 
the anticipated launch of the new gTLD program. This teleconference was the 
latest in a series of proactive, issue-oriented collaborations targeted at 
addressing GAC concerns to ensure the stable and secure delegation of new 
top-level domains.

ICANN Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush recognized the members of the Governmental 
Advisory Committee, "for their energetic and well-intentioned devotion to the 
work of reviewing and improving the introduction of new generic top-level 
domains. The discussions have resulted in significant progress, including 
improvements to trademark and consumer protections, assistance for potential 
applicants from developing countries, and other areas of the program." 
Together, the Board and GAC have reviewed twelve issues, comprised of 80 
sub-issues, discussing each in depth. The work has included several days of 
face-to-face meetings between ICANN's Board and GAC, meetings that were 
informed by preparatory papers and conference calls.

 "In particular," Mr. Dengate Thrush noted, "the GAC Indicative Scorecard and 
the reports in response to Board-GAC discussions were concise, clear and 
helpful." Governmental Advisory Committee Chair Heather Dryden said, "the GAC 
appreciates the time taken by the Board to discuss remaining issues on the call 
and looks forward to continued progress as a clear signal that the Board is 
committed to enabling the formulation of true community consensus in developing 
policy that is in the global public interest as well as increasing the overall 
accountability and transparency of the organization."

The latest discussion and ICANN Board and GAC agreement on the benefits of 
having a face-to-face meeting in Singapore pave the way to possible Board 
consideration of program approval on 20 June 2011.