For the benefit of those in NCSG not familiar with the
history or technical details here let me see if I understand this
correctly (in
layman’s/layperson’s terms). The ICANN board can request an Issue
Report on a policy
issue and the GNSO Council cannot reject that request. The Issue
Report, once
produced and accepted, also requires that the GNSO Council initiate
a Policy
Development Process (PDP) based on the content of the Issue Report.
Is this a correct characterization of the process? If so, is
it correct that the scope and focus (charter?) for the resulting PDP
get
refined in the deliberations in the development of the Issue Report?
If this is
correct what is the dialogue between the GNSO Council and the Board
within the
development of the Issue Report? Since the GNSO Council is bound to
initiate a
PDP based on the Issue Report, does the Board have the ability to
reject, or
refer back, a GNSO Council produced Issue Report? If yes, this seems
to leave
the Board in the driver’s seat with regard to PDP scope and focus.
If no, while
the GNSO Council must initiate the PDP, it leaves the GNSO Council
in the
driver’s seat with regard to PDP scope and focus.
In either case the Board has the power to initiate the
process. Does it have the power to stop the process (by objecting to
the Issue Report)? What have I got right and got wrong here?
Sam L.