[APAC-Discuss] URGENT - JIG Response to ICANN Board Resolution on Single Character IDN TLDs

Tue Nov 22 09:20:45 UTC 2011

I did a re-draft and added to the current draft and am attaching the text
below:

Further to the August 2011 Board Meeting where it was specified that Single
Character IDN TLDs not be included in the first round, APRALO would like to
invite the Board to re-consider to create an exception for IDNs as language
scripts for Chinese (Hanzi, Han), Vietnamese (Han Tu), Japanese (Hiragana,
Katakana, Kanji), Korean (Hangul) etc.

The language scripts within the Asian Australasian Pacific region commonly
utilise single characters as meaningful words/terms/ concepts.

Cultural diversity has long been recognised as a driving force of
development, not only in respect of economic growth, but also as a means of
leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual
life. This has been enshrined within various International Legal
instruments such as Article 19 of the *Universal Declaration of Human Rights
* acknowledges that people have the right to freedom of expression.
The *Convention
on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
2005, **Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage*also promote multilingualism.

The Board is invited to note ICANN’s core values in particular of seeking
and supporting broad informed participation reflecting the functional,
geographic and cultural diversity of the Internet at all levels of policy
development and decision-making.

Single Character Internationalised Domain Name Top Level Domains (IDN-TLDs)
in the new gTLD process, *inclusive of the first round*, has been a matter
of considerable and lengthy community discussion, joint SO work group
activity (cNSO and GNSO's JOG-WG) and consensus support in the wider ICANN
and At-Large Community and specifically is of intense interest and
importance to the Internet users and potential Domain Name Registrants in
the Asia Pacific Region.

APRALO also notes that the August 2011 Board resolution generally requested
input from ICANNs Advisory Committees on this matter and therefore requests
that the ALAC give their supportive of concept and requirement, input and
advice to the ICANN Board, as a matter of some urgency so that properly
informed and reminded of the wide community support and the necessity of
these IDN-TLDs, the Board may be able to review their current resolution re
this, and move, we trust to the more reasonable, fair and justifiable
option of including the implementation of Single Character IDN TLDs as
acceptable applications for the first round of the new gTLD program.

APRALO is aware of a letter from the JIG-WG which we believe is under
current discussion for resolution and endorsement in the GNSO and ccNSO and
specifically wish to have formally noted our support to the following items
from that letter:

*The JIG, through the ccNSO and GNSO councils therefore sincerely urges the
Board to:*

*1.     **Implement the community consensus of allowing Single Character
IDN TLDs without restricting such implementation to being after the first
round of the new gTLD process, and to decouple the requirement that IDN
ccTLD or IDN gTLD mechanisms wait for the other;*

*2.     **If necessary, form an implementation team to assist staff in
immediately implementing Single Character IDN TLDs for scripts and
languages where the input of a Single Character requires multiple
keystrokes (e.g. ideographical scripts, and avoiding the potential
technical concern of keyboard layouts identified in the JIG report), and
for the team to further guide implementation for other scripts as well as
coordinate input from the ACs; and,*

*3.     **Update or amend the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook for such
implementation before the application period for the first round is over.*

*and from our Regional endorsement and support of these proposals to the
ICANN Board (whether or NOT they are endorsed by both or either the ccNSO
or the GNSO) we request ALAC also discuss and then support, endorse and
advise the ICANN Board on this important issue of equity and opportunity
for meaningful and usable IDN-TLD opportunities to be part of the coming
First Round of acceptances of new gTLD application, with the strongest
possible encouragement for their review of their August 11th resolution on
the matter inline with the above.*

On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 8:03 PM, Pavan Budhrani <pavan at registry.asia> wrote:

> Hello members of APRALO
>
> We need your input on the following matter quite urgently, Cheryl has
> helped draft something linked below. You could add to it there
>
>
> https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/At-Large+Workspace+for+Joint+ccNSO+and+GNSO+Working+Group+on+Single+Character+IDN+TLDs+-+November+2011
>
> Let me know if you have any questions
>
> --
> Pavan Budhrani
> Director of Business Development
> DotAsia Organisation
> _______________________________________________
> APAC-Discuss mailing list
> APAC-Discuss at atlarge-lists.icann.org
> https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/apac-discuss
>
> Homepage for the region: http://www.apralo.org
>

-- 
Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala

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