Prep Week

Board Session during Prep Week

For the upcoming ICANN Public Meeting (ICANN79),  the Board is planning to hold an open engagement session, which we hope will be another opportunity for interested community members to engage directly with the Board on specific topics. This session will be part of ICANN79 Prep week and will be held on Wednesday 21 February at 16:30 UTC.

This 60-minute engagement session will include three breakout rooms hosted by different Board members, each covering a different topic. Following a brief welcome plenary, community members will be asked to join one of the three breakout rooms for a 40-minute discussion with the Board hosts for that topic. Attendees will be able to move freely between the three breakout rooms. The session will conclude with all attendees coming together to hear each Boardhost’s summary of the discussions in their respective breakout rooms.

 Topic 1: FY26-30 Strategic Planning

At-Large Shepherds: Jonathan, Hadia, Claire, and Judith, Cheryl

• Led by Maarten Botterman and Chris Buckridge
• Format of the engagement: discussion and soliciting input
• Description: In this breakout room, the Board hosts will seek input from attendees on how the input from the community – including through the various environmental scans, strategic trend outlook sessions and other consultations – can form the basis of the strategic objectives and goals for the next Five-Year Strategic Plan, and what metrics should be included as part of the Plan.

Topic 2: The Board’s Role & Responsibilities when Board-Adopted Policies Do Not Address the Problems They Were Developed to Solve

At-Large Shepherds: Justine, Bukola, Alan, and Cheryl

• Led by Becky Burr and Alan Barrett
• Format of the engagement: discussion and input
• Description: In this breakout room, the Board hosts will invite community feedback on how to handle situations where it becomes clear that community-developed gTLD policies adopted by the Board are superseded by subsequent events or are otherwise not able to, or can no longer, resolve the problems they were designed to address. There is currently no Bylaw or process for such a circumstance, other than the Board requesting that the community initiate another full policy development process. As the Board continues to engage with the GNSO on this topic, the community is invited to brainstorm possible solutions. 

Topic 3: Environmental Sustainability at ICANN

At-Large Shepherds - Pari, Hadia, Amrita, and Cheryl, 

• Led by Sally Costerton and León Sanchez
• Format of the engagement: discussion and soliciting input
• Description: In this breakout room, the Board hosts will solicit community input on how to best advance ICANN’s environmental sustainability efforts, in line with FY24 CEO Goal 8. Drawing on the expertise of the community will help shape the dialogue for more sustainable planning for ICANN meetings and operations.

ICANN79

Board Meeting with the ALAC

Board Questions to the ALAC

1) What would you, ALAC, regard as a success with respect to contention resolution? (AT-LARGE SHEPHERD: Jonathan Zuck)

2) What are the top three topics the ALAC sees as essential to be addressed before going to the next round of gTLDs? (AT-LARGE SHEPHERD: Justine Chew)

3) Time-permitting : what would you like to know on the Ombudsperson selection process? (AT-LARGE SHEPHERD: Sebastien Bachollet)

ALAC Questions to the Board

1) The ALAC seeks clarification on the prohibition of CCWG-Auction Proceeds members from applying to the first call for applications of the ICANN Grant Program.  (AT-LARGE SHEPHERD: Alan Greenberg)

2)  This year there are a lot of key activities happening around Internet Governance such as deliberations around NETmundial+10, Global Digital Compact, Summit of the Future (SOF) etc. How can ICANN  support a real multistakeholder participation (particularly the end-user voice) in some of those fora including Net Mundial +10, SOF  and IGF? (AT-LARGE SHEPHERD: Amrita Choudhury)