ICANN58 Cross-Community Topic Proposals

1. SO, AC and PDP WG Updates

Groups: All

Background/ Importance: The first "Public Forum" in Hyderabad was a failure: almost all of the time was spent on leaders' updates, many of whom went well over their allotment. Likewise, having WG leaders provide the same update to each SG/C or AC was terribly inefficient. At ICANN 58, reserve the first HIT - ideally right after the Welcome Ceremony - for community updates. That way everybody is up to speed, and we can all get on with the work we're there to accomplish over the rest of the week. Depending on how many leaders ask for time, simple divide the total (90 mins) by that number - and strictly hold the presenter to it, i.e. use the Public Forum clock.

Session Goals/Expected Outcomes: See Above

Relevant Documentation: N/A

Session Format: See Above

---

2. Moving towards a data driven ICANN

Groups: ccNSO & GNSO

Session Leaders: Jay Daley (ccNSO) and Jonathan Zuck (GNSO)

Background/ Importance: Data analytics is a globally important emerging area that organisations around the world are embracing to help them deliver their mission better. In just a few years a whole ecosystem has built up of data sources, analytics tools and techniques for extracting insight from data. In the ICANN context the use of data has the potential to drive:

1. Evidence based policy.
2. Organisational/community development.
3. Cleaner and safer DNS.
4. Business - more, new, better
5. Public trust.

ICANN has already begun work on some initiatives in this area: TLD marketplace indicators and Identifier Technology Health Indicators. But so far there is no strategic theme around data and the issue is not 'owned' at the most senior levels - for example ICANN is a long way from having a Chief Data Officer, which is an increasingly common role in forward thinking organisations.

Session Goals/Expected Outcomes:
- To bring together everyone with an interest in this area from all parts of the community.
- Cover the areas of potential above to help people see the possibilities of how data can drive those areas.
- Explain what is now considered best practice and what is emerging practice in this area.
- Help ICANN management/board understand the proper priority that should be given to this area.

Relevant Documentation: Presentation given to an informal grouping at the Helsinki meeting 

Session Format: The format will be some initial presentations (approx 20 minutes), then an open discussion with the audience (approx 70 minutes) on a series of moderated themes.

---

3. Towards Effective DNS Abuse Mitigation: Prevention, Mitigation and Response

Groups: GAC/PSWG

Session Leader: Alice Munuya, Cathrin Bauer-Bulst, Robert Flaim

Background/ Importance: Misuse or abuse of the DNS, and more generally cyber criminality for which the DNS is an enabling technology, represent an immediate and substantial threat to the Internet (its trustworthiness, stability, security and resiliency) and to global society (including the individual and collective interests of all stakeholders represented at ICANN: end users, businesses, non-commercial organisations, rights holders, liberty advocates and governments). Consistent with its long running efforts to improve mitigation of Abuse of the DNS at ICANN, the GAC’s Public Safety Working Group (PSWG) invites all representatives of the ICANN Community to share responsibility and work on a range of short and long term actions for an effective fight against current and future threats. Building on several converging ICANN work streams, including the GAC/PSWG ICANN 57 GAC Communiqué, Annex 1 Advice to ICANN and CCRT DNS Abuse Study, this session aims discuss the proactive and reactive approaches to security and contractual efforts to address DNS abuse by ICANN.
This session of importance and interest to the entire ICANN Community is meant to be part of an ongoing series of High Interest Session on this matter. This series aims to serve as a catalyst for the ICANN Community to take stock of the issues, evaluate current gaps in contracts and policies, and initiate appropriate processes, or feed existing ones, to create the instruments of a robust and effective fight against abuse of the DNS.

Session Goals/Expected Outcomes:
This session is to draw on qualified expertise and experience to:
1. Discuss ICANN’s SSR and Contractual Compliance responses to abuse, per ICANN response to GAC Advice. How can that be more transparent?
2. Discuss abuse trends provided by ICANN and public reporting – Spamhaus, Domain Tools, other security (MAAWG/PSWG), (per PSWG Annex 1 footnotes)
3. Identify immediately replicable and implementable practices for preventing DNS Abuse in all layers of the ICANN Community (among contracted and affected parties in particular)
4. Discuss the effectiveness of response models across the industry for the mitigation of such abuse

Relevant Documentation:
Hyderabad GAC Communiqué (Annex 1) - 5 November 2016
Mitigation of Abuse in gTLDs (ICANN57 High Interest Topic) - 8 November 2016
ICANN Board NGPC Proposal for Implementation of GAC Safeguards Applicable to All New gTLDs - 19 June 2013
Beiijing GAC Communiqué (Safeguards on New gTLDs, Security Checks) - 18 April 2013

Session Format:
This 90 min session will focus on:
1. ICANN SSR
2. ICANN Contract Compliance
3. Security Community – Spamhaus/Domain Tolls/MAAWG
4. Registries and Registrar (ICM, PIR, .uk, .sg) that have excellent practices
5. What will ICANN do to implement?

---

4. Underserved Regions in the ICANN Community – How to better engage?

Group: GAC

Session Leader(s): Pua Hunter, GAC representative from the Cook Islands and Co-Chair of the GAC Underserved Regions Working Group and Alice Munyua, GAC representative from the African Union Commission and Co-Chair of the GAC Underserved Regions Working Group

Background/ Importance: The GAC Underserved Regions Working Group held a High Interest Topic session in Hyderabad in order to introduce the Working Group, as well as some of the work being undertaken by ICANN’s Community, which directly impacts the Underserved Regions (WS2 Diversity, CCT Review Team and the AMG Global analysis, CCWG on Auction Proceeds, among others). In parallel, the Working Group finalized its work plan, which was endorsed by the GAC in Hyderabad.  The work plan is the GAC’s Working Group foundation. It was created in order to help the GAC as well as ICANN’s Underserved Regions better identify what their needs are and what areas could be improved to facilitate their work and understanding of ICANN.

Session Goals/Expected Outcomes: The GAC Underserved Regions is seeking Community’s input on a particular task of its work plan that consists of conducting a survey in order to understand the capacity challenges of under-served regions. The objectives are to increase meaningful participation in ICANN by creating dialogue spaces to highlight the USR positions, challenges and discuss how the ICANN community can best engage with these regions. This Survey will also contribute to the work of the WS2 on diversity as well as the CCT review. The GAC Working Group Co-Chairs will be presenting the survey questions to the Community and will give a chance to the audience to provide feedback.

Session Format: This session is scheduled for 90 minutes