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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Subject:
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<td>[ICANN Community Leaders] ICANN68 Announcement</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 9 Apr 2020 18:34:17 +0000</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>David Olive <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:david.olive@icann.org"><david.olive@icann.org></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:so-ac-sg-cleaders@icann.org">so-ac-sg-cleaders@icann.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:so-ac-sg-cleaders@icann.org"><so-ac-sg-cleaders@icann.org></a></td>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Dear
Community Leaders:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">We have
published the announcement and Board resolution regarding
ICANN68: <a href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2020-04-09-en" title="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2020-04-09-en" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2020-04-09-en</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid
#CFCFCF 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;background:white">
<h1 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">ICANN68 to be
Held as Remote Public Meeting<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
</div>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">LOS
ANGELES – 9 April 2020 – The Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today announced that its
ICANN68 Policy Forum, which was to be held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, will now be held via remote participation only.
The ICANN Board of Directors has <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2020-04-08-en" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5;text-decoration:none">made the
decision</span></a> that ICANN68 will not proceed as an
in-person meeting. Instead, the Board has directed
the ICANN org to explore additional community feedback and
suggestions, in order to develop a meaningful and productive
ICANN68 Policy Forum while we are unable to meet in person.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">The
meeting, scheduled for 22-25 June 2020, will be the second
time ICANN has held a Public Meeting solely with remote
participation. ICANN67, which was originally slated to be
held in Cancún, Mexico, from 7-12 March 2020, was held
as ICANN's <a href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2020-02-19-en" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5;text-decoration:none">first
entirely remote virtual meeting</span></a> following the
declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of
international concern by the <a href="https://www.who.int/" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5;text-decoration:none">World Health
Organization</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">With
an increasing number of countries issuing stay-at-home,
lockdown, or social-distancing orders to its citizens to
slow the spread of COVID-19, gatherings and international
travel are effectively on pause for the foreseeable future.
The health and safety of ICANN's community is a top
priority, and as such, convening ICANN68 as an in-person
meeting is no longer feasible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Following
the success of ICANN67 as a Virtual Community Forum,
the ICANN org sought the ICANN community's feedback on how
to improve future virtual meetings. In its decision, the
Board also directed ICANN org to coordinate with
the ICANN community on the best way forward in order to meet
the expected outcomes of an ICANN Policy Forum. The
community's feedback will be incorporated into the planning
and execution of ICANN68.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">ICANN thanks
the Kuala Lumpur host committee and our regional partners in
Asia Pacific (APAC), who have provided their support and
expertise throughout the planning process for ICANN68. We
look forward to returning to the APAC region for
future ICANN Public Meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Those
interested in attending the virtual meeting will still be
required to register. An announcement will be posted once
registration is open. To learn more about remote
participation, visit <a href="https://meetings.icann.org/en/remote-participation" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5;text-decoration:none">ICANN Public
Meetings</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">More
information, including information about the meeting's time
zone, language interpretation options, and final schedule
will be provided at a later date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);font-size:1.31rem;padding:0.75rem 0px 0.5rem">
<span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">About ICANN<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">ICANN's
mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified
global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet,
you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your
computer or other device. That address must be unique so
computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps
coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the
world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit
public-benefit corporation with a community of participants
from all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.05pt;margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Approved Board
Resolutions | Special Meeting of the ICANN Board<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-variant-ligatures:
normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans:
2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width:
0px;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color:
initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">08
Apr 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;margin-left:51.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo1;background:white">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt
"Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2020-04-08-en#1" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5">Main
Agenda:</span></a></span></strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;margin-left:102.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1
level2 lfo1;background:white">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">a.<span style="font:7.0pt
"Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2020-04-08-en#1.a" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5">Impact
of COVID-19 on ICANN68</span></a></span></strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;margin-left:153.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1
level3 lfo1;background:white">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:#333333"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">§<span style="font:7.0pt
"Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><em><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2020-04-08-en#1.a.ratioanle" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5">Rationale
for Resolutions 2020.04.08.01 – 2020.04.08.03</span></a></span></em><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:51.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo2;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);font-size:1.31rem;padding:0.75rem 0px 0.5rem">
<a name="1" moz-do-not-send="true"></a><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt
"Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Main Agenda:<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h4 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:102.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;page-break-after:auto;mso-list:l0
level2 lfo2;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);font-size:1.31rem;padding:0.75rem 0px 0.5rem">
<a name="1.a" moz-do-not-send="true"></a><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">a.<span style="font:7.0pt
"Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Impact of
COVID-19 on ICANN68<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
on 23 June 2018, the ICANN Board approved
for ICANN organization to proceed to contracting in support
of ICANN68 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (<a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2018-06-23-en#1.e" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0098D5">https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2018-06-23-en#1.e</span></a>).
Under the Meetings Strategy, ICANN68 is scheduled as the
Policy Forum for 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
the ICANN Board is responsible for a decision to change
an ICANN public meeting location once such a meeting
location has been approved for contracting and announced.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
in December 2019, a new strain of coronavirus, referred to
as COVID-19, emerged and on 11 March 2020 was declared by
the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. As of 7
April 2020, there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 184
countries or territories across the world, with nearly
1,400,000 confirmed cases. Globally, a high number of people
are under some form of a "stay at home" or lock-down order,
directed to avoid contact with others except to receive
essential services such as medical care or to purchase
supplies. Schools and offices are closed, gatherings are
prohibited, and international travel is largely on pause. We
do not know when travel or in-person meetings will be
authorized or possible. As it relates to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia has a Movement Control Order in force at least
until 14 April 2020 that prohibits meetings such as ICANN68.
The duration of the Movement Control Order has already been
extended once.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
as an organization with staff and stakeholders across the
globe, in January 2020 ICANN org convened an adaptive crisis
management team (A-CMT) in order to assist ICANN org in
tracking and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on ICANN's
work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas, ICANN org,
through the A-CMT, briefed the Board on the current status
of COVID-19 on ICANN's work, including the potential impacts
on ICANN68. ICANN org has also consulted with the leadership
teams of the various ICANN community structures –
our Advisory Committees, Supporting Organizations,
Stakeholder Groups and Constituencies – regarding the
planning for ICANN68 in the face of the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
the Board recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has already
impacted other planned opportunities for the ICANN community
to further their work in-person. ICANN67 proceeded as a
virtual meeting; the Middle East DNS Forum was canceled; the
GDD Summit (planned for May 2020) is postponed; an
intersessional meeting for the Nominating Committee has been
cancelled; no other intersessional meetings are able to be
scheduled at this time. As much as possible, ICANN org has
been in communication with the ICANN community on these
schedule changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
at this time, it does not appear possible or feasible to
convene an in-person ICANN68 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as
planned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas, ICANN org
successfully moved ICANN67 to a virtual meeting, providing a
useful test for the ICANN community on how to plan, schedule
and execute an ICANN Public Meeting in a fully virtual
setting. In ICANN org's consultations with ICANN's Community
Leaders, ICANN org sought the community's feedback about how
to use the lessons from ICANN67 to design future virtual
meetings as the pandemic might necessitate, taking into
consideration the purpose of each Public Meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas, ICANN org
reports that, due to current social distancing
requirements, ICANN org is unable to execute a virtual
meeting from a single location, and that a decentralized
execution model might necessitate changes to the format. In
addition, and in light of the fact that ICANN68 is intended
to be the yearly Policy Forum, the Community Leaders have
indicated general support for a flexible, modified virtual
meeting format that focuses on cross-community dialogues on
key policy topics, supplemented by a program of topical
webinars and regular online working meetings scheduled
around the key sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas, ICANN org
reports to the Board that it continues both its internal
operational planning as well as consultation with the
community on how to best design a Policy Forum that achieves
the intended purpose and that supports the community's
ongoing policy advice and development work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Whereas,
the Board understands the import of the face-to-face
interactions as provided for at ICANN's Public Meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Resolved
(2020.04.08.01), the Board confirms that ICANN68 shall not
proceed as an in-person meeting, and directs
the ICANN President and CEO, or his designees, to take all
steps necessary to cancel the facilities and arrangements
made for an in-person meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Resolved
(2020.04.08.02), the Board directs the ICANN President and
CEO, or his designees, to coordinate with
the ICANN community on the best way forward for ICANN68 to
meet the expected outcomes of an ICANN Policy Forum,
including the furthering of ICANN policy development and
advice work, reporting on milestones and community-agreed
priorities for the meeting. The ICANN President and CEO is
also directed to continue internal operational planning in
order to support the delivery of the ICANN68 Policy Forum in
a distributed manner to meet the expected outcomes as much
as is practically feasible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Resolved
(2020.04.08.03), the Board thanks ICANN org and
the ICANN community for their attention to this important
issue. The Board also thanks the hosts and venues planned
for ICANN68 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for their
understanding of the need to cancel the in-person plans for
ICANN68. We hope that there is a future time that we will be
able to come back and visit your city to host
an ICANN Public Meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h4 style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:102.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);font-size:1.31rem;padding:0.75rem 0px 0.5rem">
<a name="1.a.ratioanle" moz-do-not-send="true"></a><em><b><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333;font-style:normal">Rationale
for Resolutions 2020.04.08.01 – 2020.04.08.03</span></b></em><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">The
Board takes this action today in as a result of the COVID-19
outbreak, considered a pandemic by the World Health
Organization. While the Board recognizes and upholds the
value of face-to-face interactions at ICANN's Public
Meetings, and the advancement of ICANN community work that
happens at these meetings, we cannot move forward with an
in-person meeting at the cost of the health of
attendees, ICANN org staff members, and the host country.
Just as the Board has previously considered in moving
meetings due to the emerging Zika virus, health and safety
must be the paramount concern.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">At
the time of the Board decision, the December 2019 COVID-19
outbreak now stands at nearly 1,400,000 confirmed cases
across 184 countries and territories. Each day, there is
updated news on the spread of the virus and the worldwide
response. Globally, a high number of people are under some
form of a "stay at home" or lock-down order, directed to
avoid contact with others except to receive essential
services such as medical care or to purchase supplies.
Schools and offices are closed, gatherings are prohibited,
and international travel is largely on pause.
Across ICANN org, all offices are closed (except for
essential items) and personnel are working from home. Those
with school-aged children are expected to care for and, in
many cases, take on the education of their children. Many
within the ICANN community are experiencing these same
impacts. Many may also be dealing with infection amongst
their family and friends. The pandemic is impacting us all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">As
it relates specifically to Malaysia, there is a Movement
Control Order in force at least until 14 April 2020 that
prohibits meetings such as ICANN68. The duration of the
Movement Control Order has already been extended once. Just
as we cannot know today if global citizens will be in a
position to travel in June 2020, we cannot know if the
Movement Control Order will remain in force at the time
planned for ICANN68. Taking the global reality into account,
there is no way that ICANN can responsibly plan to host an
in-person meeting for ICANN68.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">After
the Board's February 2020 decision canceling the in-person
component of ICANN67 and directing ICANN org to proceed with
a virtual meeting, a virtual ICANN67 was convened. Many
valuable lessons were learned from that experience.
The ICANN Board is asking ICANN organization to continue its
consultation with ICANN's Community Leaders about how to use
the lessons from ICANN67 to design future virtual meetings
as the pandemic might necessitate, taking into consideration
the purpose of each Public Meeting. To date, the Community
Leaders have indicated general support for a flexible,
modified virtual meeting for the ICANN68 Policy Forum
format, a schedule that focuses on cross-community dialogues
on key policy topics, supplemented by a program of topical
webinars and regular online working meetings scheduled
around the key sessions. ICANN org itself will need plan
differently for how to execute a virtual Policy Forum that
achieves the intended purpose and that supports the
community's ongoing policy advice and development work.
Because of the social distancing requirements as well as the
inability to travel, ICANN org will not be able to plan for
a centralized hub of operations to deliver on
the ICANN community's needs. ICANN org instead is planning
on distributed operations for a meeting, which requires
significant logistical coordination.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">Prior
to taking this decision, the Board received briefings
from ICANN org, on areas including the impact of COVID-19,
conversations with the ICANN community, and operational
planning for a distributed meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">We
thank the ICANN community for its commitment to concluding a
successful ICANN67 and for your continued dedication in
developing a meaningful and productive ICANN68 Policy Forum
even while we cannot meet in person. The ICANN community has
shown great leadership already in a global move towards
virtual collaboration. The ICANN Board thanks the host
committee as well as our community in the Asia Pacific
Region (APAC) who worked tirelessly to host this meeting in
Kuala Lumpur. We appreciate their understanding and look
forward to returning to the APAC region as soon as we are
able.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">This
action is within ICANN's mission and the public interest, as
it is the only path to assure that the work of
the ICANN community continues as planned. It is the proper
decision on many levels, from not putting ICANN org staff at
risk; risking the need to divert the resources and attention
of ICANN org to a response to a COVID-19 outbreak
amongst ICANN org or the community; to taking a responsible
and proper measure to protect against contributing to the
global pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:102.0pt;background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333">This
decision has resource implications that are being
quantified. However, the resources needed to support an
ICANN68 Policy Forum as can be appropriately designed are
expected to be within or below the resources that have
already been allocated for ICANN68 within ICANN's budget.
This decision has no impact on the security, stability, or
resiliency of the Internet's DNS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white;box-sizing:
border-box;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0,
0);line-height:1.4rem;font-size:1rem;margin:1.25rem">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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