2026-04-23 SPIRT

PROPOSED AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. SOI/SOP Updates

3. GNSO Council Liaison Update

4. SPIRT Issue for GNSO Council Consideration Process Update

5. Updates from the Next Round Team

6. AOB

7. Upcoming Meetings and Close of Meeting

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

Open

PARTICIPATION

Attendance:

RECORDINGS

Audio Recording

Zoom Recording (including audio, visual, rough transcript and chat)

Notes/ Action Items

 Key Outcomes, Action Items, and Notes from SPIRT Meeting #5 [icann-community.atlassian.net] – Thursday, 23 April 2026 at 13:00 UTC..

[KEY OUTCOMES]

1. Re SPIRT Issue for Council Consideration Process Draft Doc. [docs.google.com], Item #1 on “at least three days” to be updated to “at least three calendar days” [COMPLETE]

2. GNSO Staff to clean up draft doc. and circulate with SPIRT/document for future use.

[ACTION ITEMS]

1. Ongoing: All SPIRT Members to update their SOIs in accordance with the SOP.

2. LT (Council Liaison) to provide clarity to the GNSO Council and receive confirmation form Council on the Response Process

3. GNSO Staff to prepare/update a Process Doc. for Council that is to be documented for this Process.

4. GDS Staff to possibly add a new column within the Change Log for “deadlines.”

5. SPIRT to pay attention to the update in Change Log (1 new Minor Change) and respond by 24 April if any objections.

[NOTES]

• Retrieve slides from here: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQAzLw [icann-community.atlassian.net]

*Announcement: SPIRT Meeting links will be changed moving forward since observers are NOT allowed to join the meeting and the current meeting link has been compromised.

1. Welcome

• New gTLD Program: 2026 Round will be opening in 1 week and today is the last meeting before the Round officially opens.

2. SOI/SOP Updates

•  

  • See Members List and SOI/SOP updates in the wiki here: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQCJHQ [icann-community.atlassian.net]

• Per the SOP, SPIRT Members are required to make a statement as to whether they are participating in any fashion in the 2026 Round – participating in the round, either directly or indirectly – without details. After Reveal Day, however, in accordance with both the Charter [gnso.icann.org] and the new ICANN Code of Conduct, Members are required to reveal in which terms they are associated with.

• Jeff Neuman provided updates to his SOP.

3. GNSO Council Liaison Update

• See the Briefing from the Council Liaison that was made to the Council during April’s Council Meeting (2026) [icann-community.atlassian.net] re identifying Council response to SPIRT here:https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/policy/2026/draft/council-process-response-spirt-vs2-06apr26.pdf [gnso.icann.org]

• There were a few questions requesting clarifications on the SPIRT Issue Consideration Process; GNSO Staff has provided a diagram to resolve the confusion (Slides 8-12 [icann-community.atlassian.net]).

• The extra process may be creating more confusion, but this process is necessary since the SPIRT cannot raise an issue to itself and has to confer with Council. This prohibition for SPIRT raising an issue to itself is intended to prevent any risks associated with lobbying activities. Though complicated and cumbersome, this process is trying to strike a balance where a SPIRT Member, who are experts in this area, can raise an issue and bring it forward.

• A question was raised on how the expedited request would be made. Council Liaison explained the current steps of the Expedited Process. Noted that this information is included within the Council Briefing doc. only (pending confirmation) and the request portion can be viewed here: “In the case where the SPIRT has submitted an issue that is time-sensitive to the New gTLD Program for the GNSO Council consideration, the GNSO Council Liaison informs the GNSO Council of the potential change raised by SPIRT members through the GNSO Council mailing list, noting whether the issue is urgent and merits the Council’s consideration through an expedited process. To clarify, this would only allow for the GNSO Council to approve the SPIRT’s discussion of a forwarded issue.”

• For clarity related to Policy issues, this is not under the scope of this SPIRT Issue Consideration Process. If the SPIRT LT determines it is policy together with SPIRT, they will go down the route, in accordance with the Charter, NOT through this process, since policy must be addressed to Council (i.e., Per the Charter, “For Type 3, which is considered a policy change, the SPIRT shall confer with the GNSO Council.”)

• A question was raised how weekends would be considered for time-sensitive matters. Council Liaison noted that the Expedited Process is to encourage the Council to respond more quickly. If more time is needed from the Council, then the Councilors have an opportunity to object to the issue/request and go through the Standard Process.

• Action Items: 1) LT (Council Liaison) to provide clarity to the GNSO Council and receive confirmation form Council on the Response Process; 2) GNSO Staff to prepare/update a Process Doc. for Council that is to be documented for this Process.

4. SPIRT Issue for GNSO Council Consideration Process Update

• See the Draft Process Doc. (including comments) here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zITIUCB5yvjV_Rj5Z87ljyqajA5VliMSPvPb77AHaU0/edit?usp=sharing [docs.google.com]

• Andrew (GNSO Staff) directed the SPIRT to the latest comments and redlines; Item #1 on “at least three days” to be updated to “at least three calendar days”

• The draft doc. will be cleaned up and circulated/documented for future use.

• Outcomes: 1) Item #1 on “at least three days” to be updated to “at least three calendar days”; 2) GNSO Staff to clean up draft doc. and circulate with SPIRT/document for future use.

5. Updates from the Next Round Team

• See SPIRT Change Log which has also been circulated via the public mailing list: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/LIC9Lg [icann-community.atlassian.net]

• Jared (GDS Staff) shared updates and any recent highlights: 1 new Type 1 (Minor) Change (shared on 22 April) regarding safeguard assessment in response to BRG. Effective Date of the Change is 24 April. The new updated AGB in pdf will be shared with SPIRT via the public mailing list as well as the link to the redline.

• Emphasis that in accordance with the Charter, for Type 0 and 1 Changes, "no more than three (3) calendar days to provide guidance if it disagrees with the decision." Question was raised whether SPIRT gets any notification when something has been added to the change log or if SPIRT is expected to monitor it. Noted that the updates/new Changes are posted to the mailing list.

• Question was raised whether there is a unified way of counting down the Change Log post; i.e., when does the 3-day actually begin its countdown? Noted that it should be 3 days from when the SPIRT is notified. The “timing” will be clearer when the Round opens but for now, the 3-day should be effective from when the Change Log is updated and notified to the SPIRT mailing list, which should be the same time. There were suggestions to maybe add a column for when SPRIT should send the deadline by and Jared responded positively that it can be looked into.

• Action Items: 1) GDS Staff to possibly add a new column within the Change Log for “deadlines”; 2) SPIRT should pay attention to the update in Change Log (1 new Minor Change) and respond by 24 April if any objections.

6.Next Steps

• Upcoming Meeting: 7 May 20:00 UTC

• ICANN86 SPIRT Session scheduled and details to come at a later time.

7.AOB

• N/A