GNSO Improvements Initiative

GII is the abbreviation for GNSO Improvements Initiative. It is an initiative undertaken by the ICANN to improve the accessibility, efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO).

Background of GII

Just like any other structure in ICANN, the GNSO is subject to review every three years. There have been, in all, three independent reviews of the GNSO: a self-review in 2004, a review by the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2005-06, and a review by the Board Governance Committee Working Group (BGC WG) in 2007. Based on the input of these reviews, the Board Governance Committee Working Group approved the following areas for improvement for the GNSO, known as the GII. The GNSO is now implementing the following changes:

1. Adopting a Working Group Model: This working group model would become the key point in framing policies and improve the policy development process by making it more representative and inclusive as well as effective and efficient.
2. Revising the Policy Development Process (PDP): The GNSO is revising the PDP and working towards making it more responsive and effective based on the policy development needs of ICANN. It is being brought in line with the amount of effort and time actually required for policy development a policy, as well as being made consistent with the existing contracts of ICANN.
3. Restructuring of the GNSO Council: The Council is moving away from being a legislative body based on voting and refocusing on being a strategic entity consisting of four major stakeholder groups with strengthened management and good oversight of the term limits of the PDP for the members of the Council.
4. Enhancing the Constituencies of GNSO: The GNSO is also working on making the constituency operations and procedures more transparent, easily accessible, and accountable.
5. Enhance communication and coordination with ICANN structures: The GNSO has also found the need to implement a regular contact between the GNSO constituencies, the GNSO Council, and the members who have been selected by the Council to be on the Board.

Initiative taken by ICANN

ICANN invited all interested entities/individuals to participate in the GII and ask them to contribute their expertise. To do this, ICANN provided a set of 5 primary ways that interested entities/individuals could participate in the GII, including:

1. Contributing in building or launching a new GNSO Constituency.
2. Reconfirming the charter of an already existing GNSO Constituency with the ICANN Board.
3. Contributing towards setting up new Stakeholder Groups.
4. Participating in the five new GNSO Improvements Work Teams.
5. Providing necessary input as new GNSO improvement-related proposals are made available for public comment.

Generic Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws (ICANN Bylaws).

Policy Development Process