<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">Dear Friends and Colleagues:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">As you may recall, ICANN is currently working on the policies relating to the eventual launch of a further round of applications for new generic top level domains (TLDs)</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">As part of this process, the PDP has recently created a dedicated sub group (‘work track 5’) to address the question of geographical terms in the top level name space (DNS)</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">This is my first briefing note to At Large, as the appointed ALAC ‘Co-Lead’ for Work Track 5, - as provided for in the WT5 ToR. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">Note that the other three Co-Leads have been appointed by ccNSO, GAC and GNSO.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">The principal outcome to date is the agreed Terms of Reference approved by the WT5 conference call on 17 January 2018. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">The document is attached (.pdf).</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">The principal features of this decision are as follows:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>the Terms of Reference of the work track on geographical terms follow closely the structure and organisation of the GNSO PDP Guidelines</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>the option of working as a Cross Community Working Group, as was initially proposed, has been rejected in favour of the GNSO PDP policies and procedures</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>no decision has been taken regarding the definition of geographical terms relevant to the DNS, </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>That has been deferred to the next phase of the discussion, which has already begun.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">Accordingly, I would encourage EURALO members to participate actively in this working group (WT5) because it has the potential to influence decisively the scope for individual Internet users, world-wide, to exercise their rights and interests in their geographical terms of all kinds in the future.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""> Further background information about this subject is available at:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JnqiUKHd9_aTLFMFQ0Rmft8GRUL7JSvGF7qS2xj7CAw/edit" class="">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JnqiUKHd9_aTLFMFQ0Rmft8GRUL7JSvGF7qS2xj7CAw/edit</a></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">I would be glad to receive any comments and answer any questions on this matter.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">Regards</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">Christopher Wilkinson</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">ALAC Co-Lead</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class="">GNSO new gTLD PDP, WT5 (Geo-Names)</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; min-height: 18px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal;" class=""><a href="mailto:cw@christopherwilkinson.eu" class="">cw@christopherwilkinson.eu</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>