On behalf of the ICANN Board of Directors, I extend our thanks to everyone who participated in the ICANN80 Policy Forum, which took place 10–13 June in Kigali, Rwanda. This meeting was the first ICANN Public Meeting to be held in Africa since 2019 and our first-ever meeting in Rwanda. It was a joy to visit this dynamic country, and to explore the beautiful culture and scenery of the capital city. I am grateful to our hosts, including the Government of Rwanda, which also hosted the High-Level Government Meeting (HLGM) that preceded the Policy Forum.
The HLGM was the fifth such meeting organized by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This event brought together more than 80 government delegations to discuss digital inclusion, the challenges to expanding Internet connectivity in Africa, and the future of Internet governance. The HLGM underscored the indispensable role of governments in ICANN's mulitistakeholder processes. The Board commends the GAC for resuming these critical gatherings, paving the way for the return to a regular schedule of once every two to three years.
As usual, the Board gathered before the ICANN Public Meeting to progress our work, which included the announcement of ICANN's next President and CEO, Kurt Erik "Kurtis" Lindqvist. Kurtis is an industry leader who brings more than 30 years of experience in the business development of Internet Service Providers and worldwide network carriers, and deep experience in the ICANN community. He is a well-respected and transformational leader. Kurtis will officially join ICANN on 5 December, and we look forward to welcoming him.
Here are a few more highlights from the June Board Workshop and ICANN80:
Reviews: The Board Organizational Effectiveness Committee updated the Board on two pending recommendations from the second Organizational Review of the Nominating Committee (NomCom): the proposal for three of the eight Board seats appointed by the NomCom to be designated for "Unaffiliated" Directors and the "rebalancing" of the NomCom. The topic of Unaffiliated Directors will be further addressed by the Board Governance Committee, and the Board will hold a follow-up discussion on NomCom rebalancing during our next workshop in September.
RDRS: The Board reviewed the operational usage statistics collected on the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) for the first six months of the pilot program, as well as the results of requestor and registrar surveys. The Board discussed additional analysis as it continues to assess the RDRS pilot.
ODP Consultation: The Board continued its discussion on the takeaways from ICANN's two completed Operational Design Phase (ODP) activities, including how the insights informed its deliberations in those cases, and how similar analysis might occur at different points within the policy and implementation process going forward.
Next Round: The Board passed several resolutions related to the New Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program: Next Round. Namely, the Board allocated $23 million of the 2012 round application fees to fund the ongoing implementation work through March 2025.
The Board also acted on most of the recommendations of the Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP-IDNs) Phase 1 Final Report. We thank the EPDP-IDNs team members for their hard work and dedication, which paved the way for the introduction of variant gTLDs and a more linguistically inclusive Internet. Additionally, the Board acted on the supplemental recommendations to the pending recommendations of the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process, which were developed by the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Small Team Plus.
After consulting with the community, the Board decided not to permit registry voluntary commitments that restrict content in the next application round. The rationale behind this decision is detailed in the resolution. The Board thanks the community for providing input on the matter. Regarding the resolution of contention sets, the Board discussed a possible path forward and directed the ICANN organization to provide details, based on a commissioned report provided by the National Economic Research Associates on how to permit joint ventures. The Board is considering taking action that may not be consistent with GAC Consensus Advice on auctions involving commercial and noncommercial applications. As a result, the Board initiated the required Board-GAC Bylaws Consultation Process. Finally, the Board adopted the guidance recommendations of the GNSO Guidance Process for Applicant Support Guidance.
In addition to these formal actions, the Board discussed and considered the next steps related to the gTLD evaluation fee, the Applicant Support Program funding plan, and whether and how to disincentivize the private resolution of contention sets.
ICANN80: Internet governance was a major theme at the Policy Forum: A community-led plenary session explored how ICANN can effectively engage in ongoing U.N. discussions and processes. Moreover, Internet governance is a key element of the draft ICANN Strategic Plan for the next five years. The Board Strategic Planning Committee presented the draft strategies during a community engagement session, and after incorporating the feedback received, the Board will publish the draft plan for Public Comment this month.
The Board looks forward to receiving the community's input on the Draft Strategic Plan and the future of ICANN, and we remain committed to working together to fulfill our mission.
