ICANN 52 Board Statement on ICANN Sending IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability Proposals to NTIA

We have received several questions requesting clarification as to how ICANN will handle receipt of the proposal from the ICG and the Work Stream 1 proposal from the CCWG. We hope the following will be helpful

We have received several questions requesting clarification as to how ICANN will handle receipt of the proposal from the ICG and the Work Stream 1 proposal from the CCWG. We hope the following will be helpful.

NTIA is expecting coordinated proposals from both groups. They cannot act on just one. Further, they expect the ICG proposal will take into account the accountability mechanisms proposed by the CCWG. We are heartened by the close coordination between the groups, including liaisons from the ICG to the CCWG. ICANN is expecting to receive both proposals at roughly the same time. When ICANN receives these proposals, we will forward them promptly and without modification to NTIA. As we have previously stated, if we do submit the proposals with an accompanying communication of comments, they will be on points we had already shared with the community during the development of the proposals.

We therefore encourage the groups to continue coordinating closely to ensure ICANN receives the proposals together and is able to provide them to NTIA in a coordinated manner.

With respect to improvements in our accountability, we are definitely open to improvements.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-3-2015-02-12-en

ICANN: CWG-Stewardship Chairs’ Statement – Summary of ICANN 52 Meeting | Lise Fuhr & Jonathan Robinson

The Cross Community Working Group (CWG) on Naming Related Functions held two sessions at the ICANN 52 Meeting in Singapore (8-12 February 2015): a two-hour working session on Wednesday, and a questions and answers session on Thursday

The Cross Community Working Group (CWG) on Naming Related Functions held two sessions at the ICANN 52 Meeting in Singapore (8-12 February 2015): a two-hour working session on Wednesday, and a questions and answers session on Thursday.
In addition to these sessions, there was participation in sessions hosted by many other groups across the ICANN community, as well as many rewarding conversations and engagements throughout the week on behalf of the co-Chairs, the members and their chartering organizations, the individual participants of the CWG-Stewardship, and the broader multistakeholder community.1

Summary of ICANN 52 Meeting

The Wednesday working session focused primarily on reviewing and refining the CWG-Stewardship’s working methods. These revisions dedicate the group to working in a committee of the whole moving forward, meeting at minimum once per week and, and building out the converging areas of the Proposal towards developing a final Proposal. As needed, the CWG-Stewardship will funnel specific subjects through expertise-based Task Forces. Task Forces will serve the purpose of developing specific aspects of the Proposal as well as demonstrating incremental progress. Drafts from Task Forces will be brought to the group for review and decision making on inclusion within the draft proposal.

The Thursday questions and answers session was focused on receiving community feedback. In preparation for the ICANN 52 Meeting, the CWG-Stewardship created a Discussion Document [PDF, 447 KB] that attempted to capture and summarize the considerable progress made by this group to date and to encourage community input on key and intractable issues that were addressed in detail on Thursday.

The CWG-Stewardship appreciates the high-quality comments and responses received, and expects to devote time in its next meeting on 19 February 2015 to further assess the feedback received. The group remains open to feedback on the specific questions on the Discussion Document, and requests that feedback before the 19 February meeting. Feedback can be provided through a CWG-Stewardship member or participant, or to the support staff (grace.abuhamad@icann.org) for transmission to the group.

Looking Ahead

The ICANN 52 meeting maintained much needed focus on the work related to the IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN Accountability. Throughout the meeting the co-Chairs, the members and their chartering organizations, the individual participants of the CWG-Stewardship, and the broader community all dedicated their time to constructive feedback and progress. With the sustained support of the community, the CWG-Stewardship commits to continuing to work at a high-intensity and pace. The group will remain regularly engaged with the community and any interested observers in order to provide updates on its work as well as related elements such as receipt of legal advice, as it did during the Webinars on 3 February.

Coordination with CCWG-Accountability

As agreed to in their Joint Statement on 28 January 2015, the Chairs of both the CWG-Stewardship and the CCWG-Accountability committed to attending and participating in each other’s sessions at ICANN 52. The CWG-Stewardship recognizes that, wherever possible and appropriate, the group will take advantage of the efforts of the CCWG-Accountability to avoid duplication or overlaps in the work to be done. With this robust coordination, the co-Chairs are assured of the effective progress of the CWG-Stewardship.

Work to Date

The CWG-Stewardship began its work in October 2014, with regular weekly virtual meetings and a working meeting at ICANN 51 in Los Angeles, California. In addition to ICANN supported regular weekly CWG-Stewardship virtual meetings, and at the request of the Chairs, ICANN agreed to support a two-full-day face-to-face meeting in Frankfurt, Germany on 19-20 November 2014 to advance the work of the group.

On 1 December, the CWG-Stewardship published its draft proposal for a 21-day public comment period. Following the publication of the draft proposal [PDF, 1.7 MB], between 4 – 6 December, the CWG hosted three public webinars to present the draft proposal and engage with the broader community.

At the conclusion of the public comment, the CWG-Stewardship dedicated its time to full review and analysis of the feedback received, in particular during an intensive work weekend on 10-11 January. As part of the outcome, the group began to study a series of alternative models that had not yet been fully considered. These models were presented in two public webinars on 3 February and in a Discussion Document [PDF, 447 KB] that was released for discussion at ICANN 52 in Singapore.

The next CWG-Stewardship working meeting is scheduled for 19 February from 11:00-13:00 UTC.

There are plans for another face to face meeting on 25 – 27 March 2015.

Composition

The CWG consists 138 people, organized as 19 members, appointed by and accountable to chartering organizations, and 119 participants, who participate as individuals. The CWG is an open group: anyone interested in the work of the CWG, can join as a participant. Participants may be from a chartering organization, from a stakeholder group or organization not represented in the CWG or currently active within ICANN, or self-appointed.

Of the 138 CWG members and participants, the regional representation is as follows:

  • 47 Asia/Asia Pacific
  • 36 Europe
  • 31 North America
  • 12 Latin America
  • 12 Africa

Of the 138 CWG members and participants, the stakeholder group representation is as follows:

  • 47 (no affiliation)
  • 32 GNSO
  • 20 GAC
  • 18 ccNSO/ccTLD
  • 18 At-Large
  • 2 SSAC
  • 1 ASO

Also, there are 6 ICG members who participate in the CWG.


1 For a full list of sessions relevant to the IANA Stewardship Transition, please see here.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-4-2015-02-12-en

ICANN 52: Global Tech Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Multistakeholder Model of Internet Governance

[news release] Singapore’s Minister of Communications and Information, Dr. Yaacob bin Ibrahim, and former Senior Advisor to President Bill Clinton, Ira Magaziner, spoke to the success of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance during the Opening Ceremony of ICANN‘s 52nd public meeting today

[news release] Singapore’s Minister of Communications and Information, Dr. Yaacob bin Ibrahim, and former Senior Advisor to President Bill Clinton, Ira Magaziner, spoke to the success of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance during the Opening Ceremony of ICANN‘s 52nd public meeting today.

“Singapore supports the shift to a multistakeholder model. We have consistently articulated our belief that no one person, organization, or even country, has a monopoly on the expertise and wisdom needed to meet the challenges that we are facing on the Internet on a day-to-day basis,” said Ibrahim. “Such an inclusive, multistakeholder approach will enhance the Internet’s role as a catalyst for information flow and economic activity.”

Magaziner spoke to the growth the Internet has experienced under the multistakeholder model. “The fact of the matter is the Internet has worked and the growth has been phenomenal and the growth to WiFi, and the growth to mobile, and now the growth to the Internet of things and it has all worked,” said Magaziner. “You see tremendous success coming from this model.”

ICANN President and CEO, Fadi Chehadé, spoke about ICANN‘s continued prioritization of both maintaining the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) and reinforcing the multistakeholder model of governance.

“First, we have continue to strengthen the confidence in our operations,” said Chehadé. “Then we have continue to make sure that our community, our multistakeholder model, is strong. And all of this must continue to be rooted in the global public interest.”

The start of the meeting comes on the heels of an announcement that, with the recent delegation of .NTT, .chat, .toshiba and .canon, the new gTLD program has delegated over 500 new strings into the root zone of the Internet. A full list of delegated strings is available at http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings.

“This is a significant milestone for the new gTLD program,” said Akram Atallah, President of ICANN‘s Global Domains Division (GDD). “The Program continues to make advancements and enable enhanced competition, innovation and choice.”

More than 1200 members of the global multistakeholder community, from over 100 different countries, will meet over the course of the week, both in-person and remotely, to discuss and debate the future of ICANN and Internet governance.

Those unable to attend ICANN52 in person are highly encouraged to participate remotely. Details for doing so can be found for any of the sessions listed at http://singapore52.icann.org/en/schedule-full.

This ICANN news release was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/resources/press-material/release-2015-02-09-en

IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group – Fourth Face-to-Face Meeting & Public Session at ICANN 52

The IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) will be holding its next face-to-face meeting from Friday, 6th to Saturday, 7th February 2015 from 09:00-17:00 SGT/ 01:00-09:00 UTC in Singapore (Time zone conversions can be found here)

The IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) will be holding its next face-to-face meeting from Friday, 6th to Saturday, 7th February 2015 from 09:00-17:00 SGT/ 01:00-09:00 UTC in Singapore (Time zone conversions can be found here).

Observers are welcome to attend the session in-person. Note, however, that seating is limited. Information on remote participation and interpretation opportunities will be posted here.

In addition, the ICG invites the community to attend a special Open Session with the ICG members and representatives from the Operational Communities on Monday, 9 February from 10:15-13:00 SGT / 02:15-05:00 UTC (Time zone conversions can be found here). More information on the session is available here.

To follow the ICG and learn more about the IANA Stewardship Transition visit http://icann.org/stewardship.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-02-05-en

Global Internet Stakeholders to Convene in Singapore for ICANN’s 52nd Public Meeting

ICANN will convene its 52nd Public Meeting in Singapore, from February 9th to 12th.

[ICANN news release] ICANN will convene its 52nd Public Meeting in Singapore, from February 9th to 12th.The meeting will bring together stakeholders from around the globe to discuss what the future of the Internet may look like in light of last year’s announcement that the United States (U.S.) government will transition stewardship of the IANA functions to the global multistakeholder community.Former Senior Advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton, Ira Magaziner, and Singapore’s Minister of Communications and Information, Dr. Yaacob bin Ibrahim, will address attendees at the meeting’s opening ceremony. Details are provided below.In the afternoon, ICANN President and CEO Fadi Chehadé will join Board Chair Dr. Stephen D. Crocker, Global Domains Division President Akram Atallah and Vice President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific (APAC) Yu-Chuang Kuek in responding to journalists’ questions during an international news conference. They will address a wide range of issues, including the current status of the IANA stewardship transition and the continued delegation of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs).Journalists who are unable to attend the Singapore meeting are encouraged to participate remotely via a live web stream or an international toll-free telephone connection. The details for connecting are provided below.A recording of the news conference will be posted to the press page of the ICANN web site (www.icann.org/en/news/press) after the event.To see the full schedule of events and meetings taking place during ICANN52 in Singapore, go to singapore52.icann.org/en/schedule-full.Registration for ICANN52 is available on-site or at registration.icann.org.

Overview of Africa Sessions During ICANN 52 Meeting in Singapore

ICANN‘s 52nd Public Meeting is taking place in Singapore from 8 -12 February at the Raffles City Convention Centre. This meeting comes at a critical time especially with the recent developments since the historic NTIA announcement to transition stewardship of the IANA functions to the multistakeholder community last March 4, 2014

ICANN‘s 52nd Public Meeting is taking place in Singapore from 8 -12 February at the Raffles City Convention Centre. This meeting comes at a critical time especially with the recent developments since the historic NTIA announcement to transition stewardship of the IANA functions to the multistakeholder community last March 4, 2014.

During this meeting, the ICANN Africa team will be hosting two critical meetings namely:

    1. The Africa Strategy 2016 – 2020 Meeting

Tue, 10 February 2015 – 11:15 to 12:45 SGT

In November 2014, and as a response to requests from the African community to further review and evolve the Africa Strategy to make it more responsive to Africa while aligning it to the new ICANN 2016 – 2020 Strategic Plan, the ICANN African team convened a special consultative session with the community during AFRINIC 21 in Mauritius. This meeting was attended by representatives from SO / AC leaders, AFNOG, AFRINIC, AFTLD, GAC, AFRALO, AFICTA, NEPAD and African Registrars associations resulting with a reviewed draft 0 of the Africa Strategic Plan ver 2.0 (2016 – 2020). This draft is currently under public comment the scheduled session will be used to present the new plan for final inputs before approval and adoption by the community. For remote participation follow here: http://singapore52.icann.org/en/schedule/tue-africa-strategy

    1. Enhanced Engagement With Africa

Wed, 11 February 2015 – 10:30 to 11:45 SGT

One of the outstanding challenges observed by the community is the limited meaningful and consistent participation of the African community in most Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees in ICANN and the wider IG ecosystem especially by governments. Africa is yet to make her voice and influence heard in the global policy making processes on issues affecting the Internet and there is need to proactively and progressively change this scenario.

Consequently, the Africa Strategy Review team alongside the AFRINIC 21 meeting deliberated and came up with a list of four projects expected to enhance ICANN’s Engagement in Africa leading to the ICANN 55 meeting in Marrakech Morocco next year. These special projects focusing on reaching out mainly to African governments and regulators include:

      1. Active participation in African regional and continental ICT ministerial meetings
      2. ICANN High Level Governmental Meeting (HLGM), During ICANN 55
      3. NewGen Program during ICANN 55
      4. Workshop for Africa Telecom regulators during ICANN 55

This briefing session scheduled will share with you details of these projects and seek your further input. For Remote participation, please follow here: singapore52.icann.org/en/schedule/wed-africa-engagement

We take this opportunity to welcome you, our community, to these two Africa sessions as we endeavor to deliver collectively on the Africa Strategy. We shall also share recordings of both sessions after the meeting using the same links.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-02-03-en

ICANN: Third Face-to-Face Meeting for the Task Force on Arabic Script IDNs (TF-AIDN) to Convene in Singapore

Background: Since the second Face-to-Face meeting of the TF-AIDN in Istanbul, Turkey last June, the group has been working on several fronts related to Arabic Script IDNs including scrutinizing the code point repertoire and defining variant code points for the proposal for Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR) and the Universal Acceptance of Arabic script IDNs

Background: Since the second Face-to-Face meeting of the TF-AIDN in Istanbul, Turkey last June, the group has been working on several fronts related to Arabic Script IDNs including scrutinizing the code point repertoire and defining variant code points for the proposal for Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR) and the Universal Acceptance of Arabic script IDNs.
The third face-to-face meeting in Singapore will conclude the work covering topics such as the Arabic Script Code Point Repertoire, Code Point Variants, Variant Disposition, Whole Label Evaluation Rules and the XML Representation of the Data, all in the context of finalizing the proposal for the Arabic script for the Root Zone LGR. The group will also discuss the next steps to be taken like addressing the Universal Acceptance of Arabic script IDNs.

Though the meeting is closed, observers are welcome to attend.

Ten members of the group will be in Singapore, and in addition to the meeting, they are expected to interact at various IDN related sessions with the community.

When: February 6-8, 2015

Where: Raffles City Convention Center, Singapore (Room “Fullerton”)

Group photo of the Task Force on Arabic Script IDNs groupMembers of the TF-AIDN at the First F2F Meeting in Singapore during March 20-22, 2014

Agenda

Friday February 6 (Day I)
8.45 – 9.00 Opening Remarks
9.00 – 10.30 Review of Current Status
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break
11.00 – 12.30 Code Point Repertoire

Review of Write-up for Code Point Repertoire

12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 15.00 Variant Analysis

Review of Write-up on Variant Analysis

15.00 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 17.00 Variant Disposition (Allocatable vs. Blocked)
Saturday February 7 (Day II)
9.00 – 10.30 Variant Disposition – cont.

Review of Write-up on Variant Disposition

10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break
11.00 – 12.30 Whole Label Evaluation Rules
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 15.00 Whole Label Evaluation Rules

XML Document

15.00 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 17.00 XML Document
Sunday February 8 (Day III)
9.00 – 10.30 Review the Complete Document for Submission
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break
11.00 – 12.30 Preparation of Presentations for Singapore Community Interaction
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 15.00 Open House
15.00 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 17.00 Next Steps (Universal Acceptance; Second Level LGRs, etc.)

About the Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG)

The Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG) is an ad-hoc group of Internet experts from the region the strategy covers; i.e. the 22 Arab States, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (collectively defined as “The Region”). The working group consists of 20 experts from 11 countries of the region. ICANN has coordinated the formation of the working group, and provides all the necessary support to drive its mandate forward. ICANN‘s strategic goals for its engagement in the region are to:

  1. Foster two-way engagement between ICANN and the broader Internet community in the region;
  2. Build strong and competitive domain name industry in the region; and
  3. Promote multi-stakeholder Internet governance mechanisms in the region.

These goals are divided into three strategic focus areas, namely: DNS Security and Stability, Domain Name Industry, and Internet Governance Ecosystem.

More on the MESWG can be found online at https://community.icann.org/display/MES/Middle+East+Working+Group.

About the Task Force on Arabic Script IDNs (TF-AIDN)

TF-AIDN is an initiative of MESWG which focuses on technical issues and solutions to promote Arabic Script IDNs; this includes their definition, secure deployment, and ease of use for the community. The current technical matters include the following:

  • Arabic Script Label Generation Ruleset (LGR) for the Root Zone;
  • Second level LGRs for the Arabic script;
  • Arabic script Internationalized Registration Data Protocol and Practice;
  • Universal acceptability of Arabic script IDNs and variants;
  • Technical challenges around registration of Arabic IDNs and variants;
  • Operational software for Arabic script IDN registry and registrar operations;
  • DNS security matters specifically related to Arabic IDNs and variants; and
  • Technical training material around Arabic script IDNs

Membership to join the TF-AIDN is always open. Those interested to join the task force on voluntary basis should email their CV and Statement of Interest (SOI) to tf-aidnadmin@meswg.org.

More on the TF-AIDN can be found online at https://community.icann.org/display/MES/TF-AIDN+Work+Space.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/blog/tracking-the-future-of-the-new-gtld-program

What to Expect at ICANN 52: A Guide for Business Stakeholders

Topics:

  • The upcoming ICANN 52 public meeting in Singapore and sessions of interest,
  • Opportunities to follow, participate and join work of business stakeholders in their various constituency groups and,
  • The latest topics in the Internet domain name and addressing systems
Topics:

  • The upcoming ICANN 52 public meeting in Singapore and sessions of interest,
  • Opportunities to follow, participate and join work of business stakeholders in their various constituency groups and,
  • The latest topics in the Internet domain name and addressing systems.

When: Tuesday, 27 January 2015

04:00-05:00 UTC

Where: Adobe Connect

Speakers:

ICANN Vice President for Global Business Engagement Chris Mondini will be joined by members of the ICANN Asia Pacific hub, and representatives from the ICANN Generic Names Supporting Organization Commercial Stakeholder Group.

How to join:

Link to Adobe Connect: https://icann.adobeconnect.com/gseprojects

*Upon logging into Adobe Connect, a pop up window will provide you the option to dial out to your Phone. Enter your Phone Number* (Remember to change the Country Code if needed).

After joining the call, as a courtesy to others and the presenters, please mute your phone. This can be done by selecting *6 on your keypad. To unmute select *6 again.

If you are Unable to log into Adobe Connect and can only join via phone:

List of International Dial In Numbers:
https://www.myrcplus.com/cnums.asp?bwebid=8369444&ppc=1350793088&num=1-719-867-1571

Participant Passcode: 1350793088

Register:

Fill this form: http://goo.gl/forms/Be5ABhgJI0
Or send an email to businessengagement@icann.org including your name, email address, affiliation, and country.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-01-21-en

Pre-ICANN 52 Policy Update Webinar

The ICANN Policy Development Support Team will provide a Policy Update Webinar on Thursday 29 January 2015 at 10:00 UTC and 19:00 UTC, summarizing policy activities across the ICANN policy development community and the ongoing Transition of Stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions and the ICANN Accountability efforts

The ICANN Policy Development Support Team will provide a Policy Update Webinar on Thursday 29 January 2015 at 10:00 UTC and 19:00 UTC, summarizing policy activities across the ICANN policy development community and the ongoing Transition of Stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions and the ICANN Accountability efforts.

Please RSVP via this form by 23 January 2015.

Remote participation details will be sent the week of 26 January 2015.

Updates will also be provided on topics from ICANN‘s Support Organizations and Advisory Committees:

  • Address Supporting Organization (ASO) and Regional Internet Registries (RIR) Activities
  • Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Policy and Implementation Working Group
  • GNSO Privacy & Proxy Services Accreditation Issues Working Group
  • GNSO Translation & Transliteration of Contact Information PDP Working Group
  • Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Framework of Interpretation Working Group Recommendations
  • At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and Regional At-Large Organizations (RALO) Activities
  • Government Advisory Committee’s (GAC) Advice on Country Names at the Second Level
  • GAC‘s Implementation of the Second Accountability and Transparency Review Team’s (ATRT2) Recommendations
  • GAC Advice on new gTLD Safeguards
  • Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) Advisories Update
  • Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) Advisory on Maintaining the Security and Stability of the IANA Functions Through the Stewardship Transition

The two sessions are duplicates, scheduled to accommodate different time zones. Each session runs for 90 minutes and will be conducted in English only. The webinar will be conducted in Adobe Connect along with a dial-in conference bridge for audio. The slides and transcript of the sessions will be available in the 5 UN Languages and Portuguese.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each session. During the course of the webinar, questions may be submitted using the chat function in Adobe Connect.

Recordings of the webinars will be made available. The Policy Development Support Team is always available to answer any questions via email at policyinfo@icann.org.

Please RSVP via this form by 23 January 2015.
Remote participation details will be sent the week of 26 January 2015.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-01-14-en

 

ICANN 52 Relocates To Singapore From Marrakech Over Ebola Fears

Following what ICANN describes as “community concerns that would prevent maximum participation at its next global meeting (ICANN 52, 8-12 February 2015),” which roughly translates as concerns about the spread of the Ebola virus, and a meeting that ICANN describes as “a critical one given the ongoing discussions around the IANA Stewardship Transition and ICANN Accountability,” the meeting scheduled to be held in Marrakech, Morocco has been relocated to Singapore on the same dates.

Following what ICANN describes as “community concerns that would prevent maximum participation at its next global meeting (ICANN 52, 8-12 February 2015),” which roughly translates as concerns about the spread of the Ebola virus, and a meeting that ICANN describes as “a critical one given the ongoing discussions around the IANA Stewardship Transition and ICANN Accountability,” the meeting scheduled to be held in Marrakech, Morocco has been relocated to Singapore on the same dates.According to an ICANN announcement Monday (US time), “the ICANN Board voted to make this decision following Board discussions and after extensive review of logistical considerations, available options and the Community’s request for three meetings in 2015 as well as the need to hold a successful meeting.””ICANN has been engaged in discussions with Moroccan government authorities and hosting officials and the leaders of ICANN’s Supporting Organizations (SO) and Advisory Committees (AC).”ICANN 52 will now be held at the Raffles City Convention Center in Singapore, the site of ICANN 41 (June 2011) and ICANN 49 (March 2014).”A Meeting website with the new information will be set up shortly. Funded travellers will be contacted by travel support to book for ICANN52 following the regular process.”The Board has confirmed its intent to hold the first ICANN 2016 meeting in Marrakech, Morocco taking into account the vital role of the African region to the success of ICANN’s globalisation efforts.”More information will be posted on the ICANN meetings website shortly.