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    <p>Hi All (and apologies for double posting): <br>
    </p>
    <p>If you are interested in Registry Voluntary Commitments (formerly
      known as "public interest commitments"), there is new movement in
      this area.  Here's part of the posting that just went up: <a
href="https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/consultation-preview-public-interest-commitmentsregistry-voluntary-commitments-21-11-2023-en"
        moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.icann.org/en/blogs/details/consultation-preview-public-interest-commitmentsregistry-voluntary-commitments-21-11-2023-en</a>
      <br>
    </p>
    <p>I'd be interested to know who wants to follow this topic...</p>
    <p>Best, Kathy</p>
    <p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
    </p>
    <h1 _ngcontent-serverapp-c83="" class="cell shrink">Consultation
      Preview: Public Interest Commitments/Registry Voluntary
      Commitments</h1>
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          <div _ngcontent-serverapp-c203="" class="page-date">21
            November 2023</div>
          <div _ngcontent-serverapp-c203="" class="blog-authors">By <a
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              href="https://www.icann.org/#"
              class="show-for-medium ng-star-inserted"><span
                _ngcontent-serverapp-c202="">Alan Barrett</span></a> and
            <a _ngcontent-serverapp-c202=""
              href="https://www.icann.org/#"
              class="show-for-medium ng-star-inserted"><span
                _ngcontent-serverapp-c202="">Becky Burr</span></a></div>
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            <p>The ICANN Board directed the ICANN organization (org) to
              initiate a community consultation on Public Interest
              Commitments and Registry Voluntary Commitments
              (PICs/RVCs). To complete the consultation expeditiously
              and avoid impact on the timeline to open the next round of
              applications for new gTLDs, we are sharing the next steps,
              so the community knows what to expect.</p>
            <h3>Background</h3>
            <p>The ICANN Board <a
href="https://www.icann.org/en/board-activities-and-meetings/materials/approved-resolutions-regular-meeting-of-the-icann-board-26-10-2023-en#section2.e">adopted</a>
              a subset of the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Policy
              Development Process recommendations at ICANN78 in October
              2023, as shown in the <a
href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/scorecard-subpro-pdp-board-action-26oct23-en.pdf">October
                2023 Scorecard</a>. These recommendations envision that
              applicants will be permitted—and in some cases,
              required—to enter into Registry Agreements containing
              public interest commitments with ICANN. In some cases,
              these commitments, whether they are PICs or RVCs, may
              implicate the contents within the applicants' proposed
              gTLDs.</p>
            <p>PICs, specifically the mandatory PICs and safeguard PICs,
              are the product of Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
              Advice concerning new gTLDs from the 2012 round and are
              uniform across the relevant Registry Agreements. RVCs,
              which are comparable to the voluntary PICs from the 2012
              round, may vary widely and permit applicants to respond to
              Public Comments, objections, GAC early warnings, GAC
              Advice, and other comments from the GAC.</p>
            <p>The Board previously raised <a
href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/scorecard-subpro-pdp-board-action-16mar23-en.pdf#page=27">concerns</a>
              about potential challenges related to ICANN's ability to
              enter into and enforce PICs/RVCs in accordance with its
              mission, due to limitations in the <a
href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#article1">Bylaws
                Section 1.1</a>. In adopting the aforementioned
              recommendations, the Board cited the Generic Names
              Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council's second <a
href="https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/policy/2023/correspondence/gnso-council-small-team-et-al-to-gnso-council-et-al-05oct23-en.pdf">Clarifying
                Statement</a> to the effect that ICANN and the applicant
              both must agree that a proffered commitment is clear,
              detailed, mutually understood, and sufficiently objective
              and measurable so as to be enforceable, as a practicable
              matter and under ICANN Bylaws.</p>
            <p>To this end, the Board directed ICANN org to facilitate a
              community consultation to ensure that the framework for
              implementing these recommendations is consistent with the
              ICANN Bylaws. Another purpose is to ensure that the ICANN
              Board, org, and community are aligned in how these
              recommendations can be implemented, considering the Board
              concerns and the need for these commitments to be
              enforceable under the ICANN Bylaws and as a practicable
              matter, as noted in the GNSO Council's second Clarifying
              Statement.</p>
            <p>The community consultation is expected to inform the
              development of the Applicant Guidebook for the New gTLD
              Program: Next Round.</p>
            <h3>What To Expect</h3>
            <p>The consultation process will have three key components:
              1) community review of and feedback on a proposed
              implementation framework; 2) a community webinar to
              provide an overview of the proposed framework and an
              opportunity for initial community questions; and 3) a
              plenary session on PICs/RVCs at ICANN79 in March 2024. The
              time frame is set out below.</p>
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    <p>---- <br>
    </p>
    <p>Rapid timeline at the link above. <br>
    </p>
    <p>Best, Kathy<br>
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