Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy Working Group
| Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy Working Group | |
|---|---|
| Status: | Active |
| Issue Areas: | Middle East Engagement |
| Date Established: | 2016 |
| Charter: | WG Charter |
| Workspace: | Community Wiki |
The Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy Working Group (MEAC-SWG) was a working group formed with the goal of developing ICANN’s regional engagement strategy. It succeded the Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG).[1]
ICANN’s 2016-2019 Engagement Strategy for the Middle East had a mandate that concludes on June 30, 2019. However, after consulting the ICANN Community in the Middle East on the way forward beyond this date, and in-light of the fact that ICANN launches its new 2021-2025 strategic plan effective July 1, 2020, the regional community suggested extending the current 2016-2019 MEAC Strategy by 12 months to conclude on June 30, 2020.
In September 2019, after close coordination with the 2016-2020 MEAC-SWG, a public call was made to onboard community members for developing a new regional strategy aligned with ICANN’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. In October 2019, a new MEAC-SWG was formed, and tasked with developing a new engagement strategy for ICANN in the Middle East.[2]
Background
In late 2012, ICANN consulted Internet community members in the Middle East on the need for a strategy that defines ICANN’s engagement in the region. In early 2013, 22 community members from across the region came together to develop this new strategy. The group was called the Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG).
The strategy document went through a public comment period before it was finalized and ready to be implemented. In implementing the strategy, the MESWG suggested developing implementation plans on an annual basis, in close collaboration with ICANN staff.
While the three-year mandate of the Middle East strategy concluded on June 30, 2016, ICANN staff, along with the MESWG, evaluated the strategy and, at the same time, sought input from the regional Internet community on the need of continuing the strategy for another three years.
After public consultation at ICANN 55 and productive discussions over the MEAC ICANN mailing list, the community suggested the establishment of a Charter Drafting Group (CDG) that would define the work methods of the new MEAC-SWG. The CDG worked from mid-April until mid-May of 2016, and published the MEAC Strategy Working Group Charter.
In mid-May 2016, a public call was announced, seeking members and observers to join a new MEAC-SWG. 50 community members responded to that call, with 48 joining as members and two as observers.[1]
Goals and Mission
2016-2020
The overall strategic objective was to “attract more active and engaged participants from the region to contribute to ICANN's policy development processes and to acquire leading roles within the ICANN community”. The strategy identified three main focus areas:
- support a Secure, Stable and Resilient DNS Infrastructure in the MEAC Region;
- promote a Healthy and Competitive Domain Name Marketplace in the MEAC Region;
- clarify ICANN's Role in an Evolving Internet Ecosystem through Engaging with the MEAC Community.[3]
The mission of the MEAC-SWG, as stated in the "ICANN Engagement Strategy in the Middle East and Adjoining Countries"Document, published in 2016, was to provide a multistakeholder, community led venue for independent volunteers and experts from the region to work inclusively and transparently in order to devise a three year ICANN regional strategy extending between July 2016 and June 2019, catering to the needs of the diverse stakeholders in the MEAC region.
2021-2025
After the establishment of the new MEAC-SWG, the MEAC-SWG identified four strategic focus areas of relevance to the Middle East. Under each focus area, regional goals were identified along with their targeted outcomes and action items. In executing the regional strategy, a detailed Action Plan will be developed annually.
The focus areas and related goals were:
- Security: strengthen the security of the DNS and the DNS Root Server System.
- ICANN’s Governance: improve the effectiveness of ICANN’s multistakeholder model of governance.
- Unique Identifier Systems: evolve the unique identifier systems in coordination and collaboration with relevant parties to continue to serve the needs of the global Internet user base.
- Geopolitics: address geopolitical issues impacting ICANN’s mission to ensure a single, globally
interoperable Internet.[2]
Outcomes
- The DNS Entrepreneurship Center (DNS-EC), established in 2014, expanded its services to Africa.
- The Middle East DNS Forum and the MEAC-SIG, events created during the MESWG mandate, kept being held.
- The Task Force on Arabic Script IDNs (TF-AIDN), also established during the MESWG mandate, continued its work on Label Generation Rules (LGR) at the Second Level, in addition to its work on Universal Acceptance.
Leadership
From 2016 to 2019, the MEAC-SWG Chair was Walid Al-Saqaf and the Vice-Chair was Hamza Ben Mehrez.
The ICANN Staff Support was:
From 2021–2025, the MEAC-SWG Chair was Rafik Dammak and the Vice-Chair was Hadia Elminiawi.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ICANN Public Comment: Middle East and Adjoining Countries 2016-2019 Strategy
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ICANN: Middle East and Adjoining Countries Regional Strategy for Fiscal Years 2021-2025
- ↑ ICANN Announcements: Call for Public Comment on the Middle East and Adjoining Countries’ (MEAC) 2016-2019 Strategy
- ↑ ICANN Community: FY16-FY20 Middle East Strategic Plan
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