[At-Large] Notice of Motion: update to ALAC advice on gTLDs

[Evan Leibovitch]

Hello,

In response to many comments, on these lists and privately with colleagues,
I have made substantial modifications to the motion which no longer calls
for a stoppage but instead demands a staggered release.

Here is the new version:

WHEREAS

   - ICANN stakeholders representing general Internet end-users and
   sovereign states have had limited participation in the development of the
   gTLD program;

   - Most of the problems identified by the ALAC in its Mexico City Summit
   declaration of February 2009 related to the new-gTLD program have not been
   satisfactorily addressed and indeed some have worsened;

   - Numerous complaints from sovereign states, intergovernmental
   organizations and other bodies have indicated that law enforcement and
   public-protection measures in the current design of the gTLD program are
   insufficient;

   - The ICANN Board, without suitable rationale, has rejected the Joint
   Applicant Support Working Group recommendations to reduce costs of new gTLD
   in developing economies independent of any fixed fund, even though this
   recommendation was actively supported by ICANN's three main public-interest
   communities (GAC, ALAC and NCSG) and actively opposed by no communities;

   - The absence of a staggered release schedule or a fixed timetable for
   future rounds severely inhibits ICANN's ability to correct errors and
   assess unintended consequences in the proposed application round;

   - ICANN has still not convincingly demonstrated the end-user need or
   benefit of a simultaneous launch of hundreds of new TLDs;


   - The ALAC supports the introduction of gTLDs but is concerned about the
   ability of ICANN to protect the interests of Internet end-users as it
   scales to cope with a massive expansion;



RESOLVED THAT

   - The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) request that the ICANN Board
   reconsider its rejection of the JAS-WG-recommended fund-independent cost
   reduction for support-eligible applicants as a matter of supporting the
   public interest and upholding ICANN's own multi-stakeholder process;

   - The ALAC conveys to the ICANN Board and community a deep concern about
   the possible harmful effect on Internet end-users of a single massive
   expansion of gTLDs;

   - The ALAC convey to the ICANN Board the urgency of phasing-in the
   introduction of new gTLDs gradually, releasing no more than 25 every three
   months and that each such release be comprised of at least 30% community,
   support-eligible or "geo-region" TLDs

   - The ICANN community must be enabled to monitor the progress of the
   releases, and that elements of the application process demonstrated to
   cause or allow harm or confusion to registrants, Internet end-users or
   conrtent/service providers must be correctable in an expeditious manner.


It is available on the wiki at
https://community.icann.org/display/alacpolicydev/Updated+ALAC+advice+on+gTLDs