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<h4 style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><em style="margin:
0px;">GAC Scorecard Response and<br style="margin: 0px;">
New Applicant Guidebook Discussion Draft</em></h4>
<p style="margin: 0.75em 0px; font-size: small;">Following the
direction set by ICANN Board to advance the new gTLD Program
towards launch, ICANN posted the<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-6-en.htm"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">New gTLD
Applicant Guidebook – April 2011 Discussion Draft</a><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/board-notes-gac-scorecard-clean-15apr11-en.pdf"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>ICANN's reply to the
GAC Comments</a>[PDF, 275 KB] (regarding the<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/gac-scorecard-23feb11-en.pdf"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">GAC's Scorecard
of new gTLD issues</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[PDF,
332 KB]). In addition,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-6-en.htm"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">six Explanatory
Memoranda</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>related
to the GAC-Board discussion points were published to explain
rationale for several current positions.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.75em 0px; font-size: small;">These
publications meet the current Board timeline for new gTLDs set
during the recent ICANN Silicon Valley meeting but more
importantly, they describe many substantive changes in the
Guidebook intended to address GAC concerns with the new gTLD
Program. This recent set of substantive consultations between
ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee and the ICANN Board of
Directors lays the groundwork for improving the effectiveness
of governments' role in future ICANN policy discussions.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.75em 0px; font-size: small;">The Board's
draft<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/draft-timeline-new-gtlds-18mar11-en.pdf"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">timeline</a><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[PDF, 117 KB] shows
the key milestones to be met on that path. Keeping with the
draft timeline, ICANN plans to post a final version of the
Guidebook by 30 May 2011, in time for consideration of the New
gTLD implementation program at an extraordinary meeting of the
ICANN Board to be held on Monday, 20 June 2011, at the ICANN
meetings in<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://singapore41.icann.org/" style="margin: 0px;
color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Singapore</a>.<a
moz-do-not-send="true" name="_GoBack" style="margin: 0px;"></a></p>
<p style="margin: 0.75em 0px; font-size: small;">The comment
period will remain open until 15 May 2011.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.75em 0px; font-size: small;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://gac.icann.org/system/files/20110412_GAC_comments_on_the_Board_response_to_the_GAC_scorecard_0.pdf"
style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">GAC Comments on
the Board Response to the GAC Scorecard following San
Francisco meeting</a></p>
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