2025-07-02 AFRALO Monthly Teleconference English Report

Report: AFRALO - Monthly Meeting

Date: July 2, 2025
Time: 18:30 - 20:00 (UTC)
Venue: Teleconference (Zoom)

Participants

• Leaders : Hadia (Chair), Bram (Vice-chair), Hervé (Secretary), Aziz (ALAC), Raïhanath (ALAC), Bukola (ALAC)

• Present Members:
  Abdeldjalil BacharBong, Abi Saddiq, Adam Ahmat, Adebunmi Akinbo, Adedokun Adewale, Aicha Abbad, Alhaj Darajaati, Ametepe Dogbe-Semanou, Amina Ramallan, Ayeda Francois Daniel, Aziz Hilali, Barrack Otieno, Bayedze Comlan, Benedict, Bukola Oronti, Cedrick Adrien Mbeyet, Christelle Assirou, Dansou, Dave Kissoondoyal, Doreen Nandutu Nabuzale, Emmanuel Oruk, Emmanuel Vitus, Emmy Okwir Ogule, Enerst Mafuta, Frank Anati, Godsway Kubi, Hadia Elminiawi, Ida Na-Tei, Isaac Maposa, Jabhera Matogoro, Joel Okomoli, Khaled Koubaa, Malick A, Masilisomatu, Massah, Maud Adjeley Ashong Elliot, Maureen Owusu-Addai, Michel Tchonang, Mutegeki Cliff, Ndiaga Gueye, Omar Shuran, Otunte Otueneh, Pastor Peters, Peterking Quaye, Raihanath Gbadamassi, Seth Adjei Gyimah, Setondji Hounzandji, Seun Ojedeji, Stephen Dakyi, Thokozile Miya, Tijani Ben Jemaa, Tinuade Oguntuyi, Winnie Njoroge, Yaa Kumi Asare Bediako, Yazid Akanho

• Staff: Silvia Vivanco, Jessie Doherty, Gisella Gruber, Yaovi Atohoun, Brenda Brewer, Christina Rodriguez

• Interpreters: Chloé, Dominique Gutierrez

• Call Management: Michelle DeSmyter

Apologies: Fatimata Seye Sylla, Remmy Nweke, Heidi Ullrich

1.Welcome remarks - (@Hadia Elminiawi)

• Hadia introduced the agenda and invited participants to adopt it.

• No comments or modifications were made, and the agenda was adopted.

2. Review of Action items  from previous meeting (Jan 8th 2025) 

2025 AFRALO Action items

 3. Open ICANN Public Comments -  (@Hadia Elminiawi)

@Hadia presented an overview of recent initiatives and ongoing discussions regarding opening public comments within ICANN. Below is a detailed summary of the key points addressed:

• Ratification

  • At-Large Workspace: PSR on Expired Domain Deletion and Expired Registration Recovery Policies

• Review  

  • At-Large Workspace: Proposal for Thaana script Root Zone Label Generation Rules - CPWG

  • Proposed Next Round Base gTLD Registry Agreement - Public Comment 1 of 2 - CPWG

  • Final Proceeding for Proposed Language for the Draft Next Round Applicant Guidebook (AGB) - CPWG

  • Root Zone Label Generation Rules Version 6 (RZ-LGR-6) - CPWG

• Call for volunteers

  • Maximal Starting Repertoire Version 6 (MSR-6) - CPWG

4. Upcoming Public Comment Proceedings 

• https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/upcoming-proceedings

  • String Similarity Evaluation Data for New gTLD Program: Next Round

  • Improved GNSO Stakeholder Group and Constituency Charter Amendment Process

  • Registration Data Request Service Standing Cmte. Report for GNSO Council Review

  • Proposed Next Round Base gTLD Registry Agreement - Public Comment 2 of 2

5. Readout ICANN 83 and ICANN 83 AFRALO AfrICANN Statement 

The statement will be finalized and sent to the ICANN Board. 
No hands raised for feedback on ICANN82.

6. ICANN Africa Reports/Updates

• GSE Africa (Yaovi Atohoun)

• Africa Regional Plan FY26-30 : The staff report was posted as expected on 20 June 2025 

  • Africa expects to contribute to the four Objectives in the ICANN Strategic Plan.

  • We are developing Implementation plan for FY26 which could be shared this month. Our team is also ready to make any input to the AFRALO Outreach and Engagement Plan when it is ready.

  • GSE Africa team is preparing a report on the implementation during FY21-25. This report will be published by the next ICANN84 meeting.

  • Projects implementation will continue under the Coalition for Digital Africa during FY26

• Africa Internet Summit to take place in Accra (Ghana) from 29 September to 03 October. https://www.internetsummit.africa/en/

• Collaboration/support in July 2025

  • Ghana School of Internet Governance Forum

  • Webinar on Universal Acceptance for NIRA staff

  • Participation in Africa Law Tech Festival, Nairobi, Kenya. 13-15 July 2025

• ICANN Regional event confirmed for 08-10 December 2025 in Accra (Ghana)

• For any type of support from our Engagement team, we would really appreciate notification at least two months in advance for planning and better support

• OCTO Middle-East & Africa (@Yazid Akanho)

  • Support for ccTLDs in Burkina Faso and Cameroon: Implementation of monitoring infrastructure and DNSSEC best practices

  • Ongoing engagement in Burundi on DNSSEC

  • Engagement in Cape Verde: DNSSEC workshop with students from the University of Cape Verde, meeting with regulators and ISPs.

7. Reports/Updates/Items for discussion

• ALAC Activities updates

@bukola.fawole

1. Ongoing discussion on ICANN Reviews and next steps: ALAC submitted an EC community reconsideration request for board resolution on 17th of June about the May 19 board resolutions. Discussions are still going on within the ALAC and with other communities within ICANN for support on the submission before the July 10th deadline.
   Members of AFRALO are encouraged to join the OFBWG calls for updates on this from the ALAC chair.

2. The OFBWG members are currently discussing the small team draft on ICANN participant Code of Conduct Concerning SOIs. The draft has been circulated on the mailing list for comments from the community. The update on the draft will be presented during the next OFBWG call tomorrow (3rd July) and the final draft will be presented on 10 July. AFRALO members are encouraged to provide their comments on the draft and also join the OFBWG calls for more update.

3. ALAC is working on it's strategic priorities for FY26.

4. ALAC is working on it's CIP next steps after identifying the top priorities on CIP and is open to collaborating with the RALOs on common top priorities for sharing of available resources.

  @aziz.hilali

…

@Raihanath GBADAMASSI :

…

• Working Group ACES update

The charter for this group is currently being drafted and several AFRALO members are already part of the group.

• Recent and upcoming AFRALO/ALS activities and Updates from Individual Members

  • ISOC Mali  - Bakary Kouyaté

    • Activities: Raising awareness about the rational use of social media

    • Outlook: Organizing a DNS row show, inter-chapter webinar for Girls in ICT

8. AFRALO Working group updates

• AFRALO FY26 Outreach and Engagement Plan - the CROP requests (CROP FY25 main landing page) and FY25 RALO Discretionary Requests

Hadia indicated that the strategic plan has not yet been developed. But for CROP, all the information is in the documents, the links of which are shared. ALSs can submit grant applications. AFRALO still has $2,000. Applications for activities must be received three weeks before the event.

• Charter for the Procedure for Drafting AFRALO Statements

Hervé very quickly recalled the procedural charter for drafting declarations. We must return to this.

• AFRALO Capacity Building and Fellows Network 2025

Muriel also spoke about the charter she drafted with Amina and Hadia and invited members to comment on the document.

• CIP Small Team Formation and AFRALO Rules of Procedure

We'll come back to that. Nothing new.

• AFRALO Advisory Group (@peters.omoragbon ) 

Pastor Peters explained that he took into account ICANN's regulations and invited members to comment on the charter.

9. AFRALO Membership Matters (@Hervé HOUNZANDJI)

10. AOB

With no other business being proposed, @Hadia closed the meeting by once again encouraging all members to actively participate in AFRALO activities.

The meeting was then officially closed by the ICANN team.

11. Next meeting - Wednesday, May 5th 2025 at 18:30 UTC for 90 mins