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=====Implementation=====
=====Implementation=====
A small team of GNSO Councilors led the implementation of PDP 3.0:  
A small team of GNSO Councilors led the implementation of PDP 3.0:  
* [[Arsène Tungali]] (Non-Commerical Stakeholder Group)
* [[Arsene Tungali]] (Non-Commerical Stakeholder Group)
* [[Dracy Southwell]] (Registrar Stakeholder Group)
* [[Dracy Southwell]] (Registrar Stakeholder Group)
* [[Elsa Saade]] (Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group)
* [[Elsa Saade]] (Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group)
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* [[Pam Little]] (Registrar Stakeholder Group)
* [[Pam Little]] (Registrar Stakeholder Group)
* [[Philippe Fouquart]] (Internet Service Providers & Connectivity Providers Constituency)
* [[Philippe Fouquart]] (Internet Service Providers & Connectivity Providers Constituency)
* [[Rafik Dammak]] (Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group)  
* [[Rafik Dammak]] (Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group)
 
======Overlap with [[Multistakeholder Model|MSM]] Evolution=====
======Overlap with [[Multistakeholder Model|MSM]] Evolution=====



Revision as of 20:18, 15 January 2021

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is a policy-development body which is responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The GNSO is formed of Stakeholder Groups, themselves composed of Constituencies, which together form one Supporting Organization to form consensus, set policy, and make evidence-informed recommendations.[1] The GNSO was previously known as the Domain Name Supporting Organization (DNSO), which it replaced in 2003.

Policy development within the GNSO is governed by the GNSO Council. The Council meets 12 times per year; four times face-to-face (three times at ICANN public meetings, and once at the Council Strategic Planning Session), and eight times via webinar.

Overview[edit | edit source]

The main objective of the GNSO is to ensure that gTLDs operate in a fair and orderly manner across the global Internet, without hindering innovation or competition. As ICANN sets policy by contract, the GNSO develops policy with the involvement of both the contracted and non-contracted parties who hold equal influence and equal voting rights. In addition, two independent appointments to the Council of non-voting members are made by ICANN's Nominating Committee.

Non-Contracted Parties

Contracted Parties

GNSO Council, as photographed at ICANN 60 in Abu Dhabi in November 2017.

GNSO Council[edit | edit source]

Organizational Structure of the GNSO Council(Image from ICANN.org)

The GNSO Council consists of 21 members, 20 of whom are voting members, and the Council has two houses. Stakeholder Groups appoint 18 of its members to be involved in ICANN's multistakeholder model. Philippe Fouquart is the current Chair and will serve until AGM 2022. Pam Little, Registrar Stakeholder Group Council representative, was re-elected as the Contracted Party House GNSO Council Vice-Chair. Tatiana Tropina, Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group representative, was elected as the Non-Contracted Party House GNSO Council Vice-Chair.

Members Include:

NCAs[edit | edit source]

  • Tom Dale, Contracted Party House, Asia Pacific (AGM 2021)
  • Olga Cavalli, non-voting member, Latin America Caribbean (AGM 2022)
  • Carlton Samuels Non-Contracted Party House, Latin America Caribbean (AGM 2021)

GNSO Council Liaisons & Observers[edit | edit source]

Contracted Party House[edit | edit source]

  • Pam Little, Vice-Chair, Asia Pacific, term ends AGM 2021

Registries Stakeholder Group[edit | edit source]

Registrars Stakeholder Group[edit | edit source]

Non-Contracted Party House[edit | edit source]

Commercial Stakeholder Group[edit | edit source]

Commercial and Business Users - Business Constituency

Intellectual Property Interests - Intellectual Property Constituency

ISP Interests - ISP Constituency

Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group[edit | edit source]

GNSO Policy Development Process[edit | edit source]

The GNSO is the primary engine within the ICANN community for developing, recommending changes, and making modifications to generic top-level domain policies. The GNSO aims to identify ways to improve the inclusiveness and representativeness of its work while increasing its effectiveness and efficiency.

History[edit | edit source]

An important GNSO improvement was the development of recommendations for the new GNSO policy development process. In June 2008, the ICANN Board launched a set of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the GNSO. These recommendations were related to GNSO activities, operations, and structure.

2008 Recommended GNSO Improvements[edit | edit source]

The GNSO Standing Committee on Improvements Implementation (SCI) is responsible for reviewing and assessing the effective functioning of recommendations provided by the Operational Steering Committee (OSC) and Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC) and approved by the GNSO Council. The main areas of GNSO improvements approved by the ICANN Board fell into five categories:

  1. Creating a Working Group Model
  2. Revising the Policy Development Process (PDP)
  3. Restructuring GNSO Council
  4. Improving communication and coordination among ICANN Bodies
  5. Advancing constituency procedures [2]

February 2020 saw the culmination of a GNSO initiative called "PDP 3.0," when the GNSO released the "Final Report on the Implementation of GNSO Policy Development Process 3.0." PDP 3.0 refers to the GNSO Council initiative to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. During a GNSO Council’s Strategic Planning Session (SPS) in January 2018, a staff paper on GNSO PDP was shared, which led the GNSO Council to deliberate over the issues raised and identify challenges and improvements, especially concerning working groups. Then, the GNSO Council organize a session with PDP working group leadership and the broader community, which resulted in an updated version of the paper in May 2018. On October 24, 2018, the GNSO Council adopted 14 of the 17 recommendations listed in PDP 3.0.[3]

PDP 3.0[edit | edit source]

The recommended improvements[edit | edit source]

Recommendations:

  1. Terms of participation for working group members
  2. Consider alternatives to open working group model
  3. Criteria for joining of new members after a PDP working group is formed or

re-chartered

  1. Consensus playbook
  2. Active role for and clear description of Council liaison to PDP working groups
  3. Document expectations for working group leaders that outline role &

responsibilities as well as minimum skills/expertise required

  1. Provide further guidance for section 3.6 (Standard Methodology for Decision

Making) and clarification of section 3.7 in the GNSO Working Group Guidelines

  1. Enforce deadlines and ensure bite-size pieces
  2. Notification to Council of changes in the work plan
  3. Review of working group leadership
  4. Make better use of existing flexibility in PDP to allow for data gathering,

chartering and termination when it is clear that no consensus can be achieved

  1. Independent conflict resolution
  2. Criteria for PDP working group updates
  3. Resource reporting for PDP working groups
Implementation[edit | edit source]

A small team of GNSO Councilors led the implementation of PDP 3.0:

=Overlap with MSM Evolution[edit | edit source]

PDP Updates are one-page documents prepared by ICANN staff to inform the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and other interested parties about potential opportunities to engage in and contribute to on-going GNSO PDP efforts. They are published on a regular basis and translations of these can be found on the GAC website.

Implementation of the Uniform Rapid Suspension System[edit | edit source]

In September 2012, ICANN senior executive Kurt Pritz sent a public email to GNSO Council Chairman Stephane Van Gelder advising him that URS implementation could begin after a year of delay. Implementing URS included a pair of open meetings in Fall 2012, including one at ICANN 45 in Toronto. ICANN acknowledged the role played by the GNSO Council in developing and approving the model and said they were willing to "work in whichever way the GNSO wishes to proceed".[4]

ICANN Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees[edit | edit source]

Apart from the GNSO, there are other Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees which help ICANN to fulfill its objectives. They include:

References[edit | edit source]