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APRALO Policy Forum

APRALO Policy Forum

Description

In late 2019, the APRALO Leadership Team proposed the initiation of an APRALO Policy Platform for 2020. After reviewing input from RALO members to the proposal and in light of the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, the Leadership Team considers this APRALO Policy Forum to be a modest but useful kickstart to facilitate and coordinate ICANN policy-related discussions at a regional level.

Purpose:

The APRALO Policy Forum aims to:

  • Aim 1: Encourage engagement of APRALO members on issues within ICANN's remit  

  • Aim 2: Facilitate informed, inclusive regional position development on issues within ICANN's remit

  • Aim 3: Support APRALO Leadership's participation as a regional partner to the ALAC Policy Platform / the At-Large Consolidated Policy Working Group

  • Aim 4: Grow APRALO outreach opportunities within the AP region and with other RALOs and ICANN communities on ICANN policy issues

  • Aim 5: Provide suggestions on AP regional issues of interest which may fall within ICANN’s remit

How do we achieve these aims? By:

  • Informing the APRALO Community on ICANN policy issues.

  • Engaging the APRALO Community in At-Large discussions on ICANN policy issues 

  • Consulting the APRALO Community to formulate input on ICANN policy issues.

  • Building the capacity of the APRALO Community to effectively participate on ICANN policy deliberations 

  • Participating in inter-RALO discourse on ICANN policy issues 

  • Creating intra-regional discourse & cooperation opportunities to advocate for individual end user interests

APRALO Priorities for 2023-2024

Area

1. Vis-à-vis ALAC/At-Large Community

2. Policy-related priorities

3. RALO Membership Retention & Engagement priorities

4. ICANN operating priorities – top 5 to monitor**

 5. Consideration of additional, new topics ***

Area

1. Vis-à-vis ALAC/At-Large Community

2. Policy-related priorities

3. RALO Membership Retention & Engagement priorities

4. ICANN operating priorities – top 5 to monitor**

 5. Consideration of additional, new topics ***

Priorities

  • 1a-Continue to contribute towards policy position development

  • 1b-Pay attention to ICANN governance matters

  • 1c-Take greater cognizance of "global public interest" applicability

  • 2a-Increase involvement in DNS Abuse mitigation

  • 2b-Continue focusing on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)

  • 2c-Increase participation in promotion of Universal Acceptance (UA)

  • 3a-Continue with capacity building / development

  • 3b-Build on leadership development & mentorship

  • 3c-Improve participation & engagement, institute activity metrics

  • 4a-OI-4.  Evolve & strengthen ICANN Community’s decision-making processes [**p.28]

  • 4b-OI-3.  Evolve & strengthen the Multi-stakeholder Model (MSM) [**p.23]

  • 4c-OI-9.  Evaluate, align & facilitate improved engagement in the Internet Ecosystem [**p.44]

  • 4d-OI-7.  Promote the Universal Acceptance of domain names and email addresses [**p.38]

  • 4e-OI-10.Through targeted engagement, improve Govt and IGO engagement & participation [**p.47]

  • 5a-Internet Fragmentation or “Splinternet”

  • 5b-Aspects of the Next Round of New generic Top-Level Domains (New gTLDs)

*    Per the 2022 Hot Topic Survey.
**  For an explanation of the above priorities in area 4, please refer to: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/op-financial-plan-fy22-26-opplan-fy22-2021-en.pdf
*** Per the APF Town Hall Meetings of 10 Aug 2023

Membership:

Open to all APRALO members interested in ICANN policy-related discussions, by subscription to the mailing list. The membership list is published below.

Operation:

The work of the Policy Forum will be facilitated using a combination of the following resources:

  • This work space, as the central repository for the Forum

  • The apralo-policy@icann.org mailing list which will be moderated by members of the Leadership Team and supported by At-Large Staff. 

  • Periodic team/small team project/planning calls 

  • Event calls

The ICANN Expected Standards of Behaviour will apply.

17 Aug 2023 


Discussions & Next Events

APRALO Policy Forum Planning Document 2024 (comment-only mode)

Current Activities

Immediate Past Activities


2024 Activities

ACTIVE [27-Cycle2] APRALO Register of Skills & Interests Pilot Cycle 2 (Nov 2024-Jan 2025, extended to Feb 2025)

Purpose: This is the second cycle of the pilot implementation of the project code-named "Project RoSI" aimed at producing a dynamic Register of Skills & Interests for APRALO. This pilot incorporates many of the project's 2021 goals and preliminary work (See: Infographic report Infographic report). This pilot is to open to all interested APRALO Community members who wish to indicate they have expertise and/or knowledge to share on or are interested to learn about selected topic and themes within ICANN's remit in line with the ALAC's and APRALO's priorities.  

Status: Cycle 2 of the APRALO Register of Skills & Interests Pilot is open for participation from 4 November 2024 - 31 January 2025 28 February 2025. LINK TO PARTICIPATE

Target Aims: 1, 3, 4
Target Priorities: 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a-OI-4, 4b-OI-3

More info about RoSI:  Project RoSI Workspace

completed [27-Cycle1] APRALO Register of Skills & Interests Pilot Cycle 1 (Jul-Sep 2024)

Purpose: This is the pilot implementation of the project code-named "Project RoSI" aimed at producing a dynamic Register of Skills & Interests for APRALO. This pilot incorporates many of the project's 2021 goals and preliminary work (See: Infographic report Infographic report). This pilot is to open to all interested APRALO Community members who wish to indicate they have expertise and/or knowledge to share on or are interested to learn about selected topic and themes within ICANN's remit in line with the ALAC's and APRALO's priorities.  

Status: Cycle 1 of the APRALO Register of Skills & Interests Pilot is now closed. It was open for participation from 19 July - 13 September 2024. LINK TO PARTICIPATE

Target Aims: 1, 3, 4
Target Priorities: 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a-OI-4, 4b-OI-3

More info about RoSI:  Project RoSI Workspace

COMPLETED [28] APRALO ICANN80 Readout

Background:  Panelists will discuss their respective key takeaways from ICANN80 and participants are welcomed to join in the conversation aimed at identifying where and how end-users may play a role in any next steps to each of those takeaways. 

Moderator:
Cheryl Langdon-Orr, At-Large Leader, based in Australia

Panelists:
Satish Babu, APRALO, based in India
Fidya Shabrina, ICANN80 Fellow, based in Indonesia
Tomslin Samme-Nlar, GNSO Council Vice-Chair & GNSO Councillor, currently based in Australia
Zakir Syed, representing GAC, based in Pakistan
Ian Chiang, ccNSO, based in Taiwan

Target Aims: 1, 4
Target Priorities: 4b-OI-3, 4e-OI-10

Event Wiki:  APRALO ICANN80 Readout

Zoom Recording: EN

ACTIVE [27] APRALO Register of Skills & Interests Project (2024)

Background: Tentatively code-named "Project RoSI", this project is intended to produce a dynamic Register of Skills & Interests for APRALO.

Status: Reactivating. The APRALO Register of Skills & Interests (RoSI) is proceeding as a pilot! This pilot incorporates many of the project's 2021 goals and preliminary work (See: Infographic report Infographic report), but instead of assessing candidates for entry into RoSI, the approach for the pilot is to open the RoSI to all interested APRALO Community members by not only focusing on respondents who have expertise and/or knowledge to share but also to capture the interests of respondents who may be interested to learn about selected topic and themes within ICANN's remit. 

Dedicated Workspace:  Project RoSI Workspace

COMPLETED [26] APRALO Policy Forum Fireside Chat #5: Let's Talk About Internet Fragmentation and Multistakeholder Internet Governance

Background: Having had an earlier conversation on Internet Fragmentation in the ICANN context, this fitfh APRALO Fireside Chat will feature moderator Amrita Choudury  in conversation with Anriette Esterhuysen, Senior Advisor on Global and Regional Internet Governance, Chris Buckridge, Independent Consultant on Internet Governance and Digital Policy, and Pablo Hinojosa, Senior Director of Engagement at APNIC. They will be discussing the state of multi-stakeholderism in Internet Governance, with a focus on:

  • What does Internet Fragmentation mean, what are some of the dimensions of fragmentation  and how does it impact especially individual end-users?

  • What role does the At-Large Community have, as part of ICANN's multi-stakeholder model and beyond, in addressing Internet Fragmentation risks, given ICANN's "One World, One Internet" goal? How can the At-Large Community support ICANN's endeavour.

Target Aims: 1, 3, 4
Target Priorities: 1b, 3a, 3c, 4c-OI-9, 5a

Event Wiki:  APF Fireside Chat #5, 25 April 2024 (with Activity Report posted)

Recording: EN Zoom Recording

More aboutAPRALO Policy Forum Fireside Chats

COMPLETED [25] APRALO ICANN79 Readout

Background:  Panelists will discuss their respective key takeaways from ICANN79 and participants are welcomed to join in the conversation aimed at identifying where and how end-users may play a role in any next steps to each of those takeaways. 

Moderator:
Amrita Choudhury, APRALO Chair, based in India

Panelists:
Aris Ignacio, APRALO Vice Chair, based in Philippines
Manju Chen, GNSO Councilor representing NCSG, based in Taiwan
Pranav Bhaskar Twari, ICANN79 Fellow, based in India
Dr Shamsuzzoha, representing GAC Bangladesh, based in Bangladesh
Russell Deka T Harada, ccNSO, based in Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Target Aims: 1, 4
Target Priorities: 4b-OI-3, 4e-OI-10

Event Wiki:  APRALO ICANN79 Readout

Zoom Recording: EN

NO STMT [24] APRALO Statement to ICANN Org Review of the Draft Applicant Support Program (ASP) Handbook – New gTLD Program

Background:  ICANN org is seeking feedback on the Draft Application Support Program (ASP) Handbook, which has been previously discussed by the Subsequent Procedures (SubPro) Implementation Review Team (IRT) Sub-Track on ASP as part of ICANN’s efforts to implement the policy recommendations on Topic 17: Applicant Support, of the SubPro PDP Final Report, and taking into account the guidance provided by the GNSO Guidance Process (GGP) on Applicant Support. An APRALO Small Team on ASP is to be constituted to work on inputs for APRALO's submission to this call for feedback.

The Small Team, which comprised several APRALO Leadership selected APRALO/APF members, had reviewed the public comment supporting materials, identified and discussed comments for consideration over a period of February 9-28, 2024. Thereafter, our efforts shifted to the At-Large, in shepherding the ALAC/At-Large comments for the same, through the ICANN79 At-Large Policy Discussion session held on 2 Mar, and continued through 3 subsequent At-Large Consolidated Policy Working Group (CPWG) calls on 13, 20 and 27 Mar, where suggested positions were discussed by the At-Large Community.  The Small Team contributed significantly to the positions discussed by At-Large and many of those proposed by the Small Team were eventually taken up in the ALAC Statement AL-ALAC-ST-0224-02-01-EN.

Target Aims: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Target Priorities: 1a, 3a, 3b, 3c, 5b

Small Team Workplan: [24a] Small Team Work Plan on Draft ASP Handbook

Dedicated Workspace:  At-Large Workspace: Review of the Draft Applicant Support Program (ASP) Handbook – New gTLD Program

 NO STMT [23] APRALO Statement to ICANN Board Call for Public Comments for the IDNs-EPDP Phase 1 Final Report, February 2024

Background: APRALO seeks to respond to the Public Comment proceeding that is seeking input on the Phase 1 Final Report Recommendations from the GNSO Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) for ICANN Board Consideration. After deliberations at the APF call of 13 Feb 2024, it was determined that no statement was needed.

Target Aims: 1, 2, 3
Target Priorities: 2b, 3a, 3c, 5b

Event Wiki: APF Call, 13 Feb 2024

Dedicated Workspace:  IDNs-EPDP Phase 1 Statement Googledoc


Activity & Meeting Archives

2024

2023

July - December 2023

January - June 2023

2020-2022

APRALO Policy Forum Discussions Archive 2020-2024


Annual Reports


Contact

Staff Support Lead: Gisella Gruber

Mailing list: apralo-policy@icann.org 

To subscribe to the APRALO Policy Forum mailing list (or read the archives / manage your subscription) please send a request to staff@atlarge.icann.org.


Members

Current membership of the APRALO Policy Forum comprises: 

Name

Date Joined / (Resigned)

Subscribed to the Mailing list

Name

Date Joined / (Resigned)

Subscribed to the Mailing list

1. Shah Zahidur Rahman (Chair, as of 15.08.2024)

04.01.2024

2. Justine Chew (Former Chair, RoSI Project Lead)

04.01.2024

3. Amrita Choudhury

04.01.2024

4. Cheryl Langdon-Orr

04.01.2024

5. Gopal Tadepalli 

04.01.2024

6. K. Mohan Raidu

04.01.2024

7. Nitin Walia

04.01.2024

8. Nazmul Hasan Majumder

04.01.2024

9. Fouad Bajwa

04.01.2024

10. Vipul Gautam 

04.01.2024

11. Houda Chihi (non APRALO member)

04.01.2024

 

12. Udeep Baral

05.01.2024

13. Phyo Thiri

05.01.2024

14. Kong Diep

05.01.2024

15. Ashirwad Tripathy 

06.01.2024

16. Nabeel Yasin

12.01.2024

17. Laxmi Prasad Yadav

12.01.2024

18. Maureen Hilyard

12.01.2024

19. Jasmine Ko 

13.01.2024

20. Prateek Pathak

13.01.2024

21. Muhammad Umair Ali 

14.01.2024

22. Iqra Ejaz Bhatti

14.01.2024

 

23. Ashrafur Rahman Piaus 

14.01.2024

24. Priyatosh Jana

15.01.2024

25. Suhaidi Hassan

15.01.2024

26. Harisa Shahid 

15.01.2024

27. Holly Raiche

15.01.2024

28. Fidya Shabrina

15.01.2024

29. Bibek Silwal

17.01.2024

30. Mabda Haerunnisa Fajrilla Sidiq

30.01.2024

31. Faheem Soomro

01.02.2024

32. Satish Babu

01.02.2024

33. Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu

08.02.2024

 

34. Shehab Karman

13.02.2024

 

35. Adarsh Bu

16.04.2024

36. Barkha Manral 

24.04.2024

37. Mohammad Kawsar Uddin

25.04.2024

38. Charles Mok

26.04.2024

39. Juliana Harsianti

02.05.2024

40. Muhammad Shabbir

27.05.2024

41. Pranav Bhaskar Tiwari

31.05.2024

Past Membership

2023

Justine Chew (Chair)

Md Toufik Hayder

Laxmi Prasad Yadav 

Bibek Silwal

Suhaidi Hassan

Shreedeep Rayamajhi (Former Chair)

Kashif Adeel

Rao Naveed Bin Rais 

Udeep Baral

Priyatosh Jana

Amrita Choudhury

Ayesha Iftikhar

Fouad Bajwa

Samik Kharel

Abhishek Gautam

Nabeel Yasin

Mohammad Kawsar Uddin

Shidul Alam Kaisar 

Jaewon Son

Faheem Soomro

Dr. N.Sudha Bhuvaneswari

Md. Jahangir Hossain

Stacy Gildenston

Amir Qayyum

 

Asyraf Mierza Abd Rahma

Eranga Samararathna

Namra Naseer

Abdul Ghayoor Bawary

 

2020-2022

Justine Chew (Co-Chair)

Satish Babu (Co-Chair)

Maureen Hilyard

Aris Ignacio

Nadira Alaraj

Holly Raiche

Gunela Astbrink

Priyatosh Jana

Kristina Hakobyan

Azatullah Dawoodzai

Fouad Bajwa

Gopal Tadepalli

Cheryl Langdon-Orr

Mohammad Kawsar Uddin

Sivasubramanian Muthusamy

Narine Khachatryan

Amrita Choudhury

Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Jaewon Son

Ali AlMeshal

Mahmoud Lattouf

Lianna Galstyan

Amir Qayyum

Winthrop Yu

Hilmi Ghalib

Prateek Pathak

Abdul Ghayoor Bawary

K Mohan Raidu

Suhaidi Hassan