Objective & Task:

This small team will review the 2012 ALAC Procedure for filing Comments and Objections to New gTLD string applications, and consider:

(a) whether this Procedure requires an overhaul to address administrative challenges faced in its use for the 2012 New gTLD Round*; and

(b) whether this Procedure could be updated to present less complexity and bureaucracy.

The output of this small team would be a Next Round ALAC Procedure, to be approved by the ALAC for onward submission to the Subsequent Procedures Implementation Review Team (SubPro IRT) for incorporation or reference in the Next Round Applicant Guidebook (AGB).

*Note: The issue of 'automatic standing' is being taken up via CPWG.

Note : In 2026, with the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round scheduled to begin at the end of April 2026, the ALAC Small Team on Objections is focused on

updating the procedures for filing comments and objections based on changes and updated information in the 2026 Applicant Guidebook,
outreach deliverables to the At-Large Community such as:
- text to join the At-Large gTLD Applications Review Group (gARG), and
- what the At-Large Community can do during the Application Comment Period and Objection Period
outreach during At-Large calls and at ICANN85 and ICANN86

Mailing List

alac-objections@icann.org

Meetings

Next Meeting: 19 May 2026

Last Meeting: 06 May 2026

Previous Meetings

Working Documents 2026

Public Document

PUBLIC Wiki page for the AGB that describe the ALAC Procedure for Filing Comments and Objections in the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round

Presentations 2026

Presentation ICANN-ALAC “ Community Input Objections and Appeals” - April 28, 2026
Presentation to OFB WG - April 09 2026 - “
At-Large Preparations for the 2026 Next Round - ICANN 85, 11 March 2026 “
Next Round of New gTLDs - ALAC Procedure for Filing Comments & Objections" - Presentation to OFB WG - Justine Chew 27 June 2024.

Reference Documents

Applicant Guidebook - V2 - 2026.04.28

Background Reference Materials

Background reading to understand the ALAC Procedures that were used in the 2012 round. See Google docs :

2012 Procedures for the ALAC to submit public comments on and file objections to the new gTLD applications.
ALAC Objection Funding Instructions for 2012 New gTLD Program
2012 Procedure for the ALAC to submit public comments on, and file objections to new gTLD applications (PDF)
At-Large new gTLD Application Dashboard Workspace
At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Objection Funding Instructions
The Independent Objector
Wayback archive of Independent Objector website
Objection Determinations - the list of Objections filed and the determinations made by the Dispute Resolution Service Providers (DRSP) regarding community and limited public interest objections

Small Team Composition

Comments & Objections Procedures Subteams

Below are the Subteams for the review and revision of ALAC Objection Procedure for the Next Round.

Workflow Subteam

Objective: Simplify the process workflow to submit comments and file objections while satisfying the criteria set by ICANN.

Scoring Subteam

Objective: Review how At-Large quantifies whether to proceed with community or limited public interest objection. This involves reviewing DRSP decision on objections and identifying favorable commonalities. This will inform how an At-Large team could score comments and objections received

Subteam Members:

@Dev Anand Teelucksingh

@Kathleen Scoggin

@Hanna Frank

@Barkha Manral

@Mutegeki Cliff

@Cheryl Langdon-Orr

@Amina Ramallan