[Ncsg-discuss] ICANN85 Prep Week & ICANN85 Board/Stakeholders session

[Maureen Owusu-Addae]

Hi Rafik,

Thank you for sharing the Board’s message and for the additional context
regarding the previous discussion.

For the upcoming bilateral session in Mumbai, I agree that this is a
valuable opportunity to focus on a topic that is both strategic and
distinctly relevant to NCSG. Building on the Board’s Question 1 regarding
emerging trends, I support highlighting the increasing external pressures
on the multistakeholder model;  particularly in light of WSIS+20 and the
forthcoming Plenipotentiary Conference.

>From an NCSG perspective, one emerging trend worth emphasizing is the
gradual shift toward more state-centric or multilateral internet governance
approaches, which may risk narrowing space for civil society and
noncommercial participation. It may be useful to frame our engagement
around how ICANN intends to proactively safeguard meaningful, not merely
formal, multistakeholder participation; especially for noncommercial users
in a rapidly evolving global governance environment.

One possible way to shape the discussion could be:
“How does the Board envision reinforcing the resilience of the
multistakeholder model in the context of WSIS+20 and related global
processes, and what concrete measures is ICANN considering to ensure that
noncommercial stakeholders continue to have substantive influence in policy
development and strategic decision-making?”

I believe this keeps the discussion strategic while clearly grounding it in
NCSG’s mandate to protect civil society and individual user interests.
Happy to refine further based on the group’s priorities.


Best regards,
Maureen

On Wed, Feb 18, 2026, 4:04 AM Rafik Dammak <
00001e06d4af460b-dmarc-request at listserv.syr.edu> wrote:

> Thanks Adebunmi and Kathy .
> To answer your question, I shared  the question about UDRP study and
> independent studies in general and to summarize they didn't give positive
> or negative answer. Russ asked if we don't trust ICANN reports, also asked
> about specifics as those are for budgeting and planning and we are in
> middle of FY27 budgeting. I would wait for the minutes and share them with
> the list for more details
>
> Regardless of that, this is interaction with board instead and we need to
> figure out what topic we want to discuss with them in depth.
>
> Rafik
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2026, 23:54 Kathy Kleiman <kathy at dnrc.tech> wrote:
>
>> Could we hear what happened with each of our questions to the CEO?  That
>> could help us shape our questions for the Board.
>>
>> I may have missed an email on this topic since I have been traveling.
>>
>> Best, Kathy
>> On 2/16/2026 7:25 PM, Rafik Dammak wrote:
>>
>> hi all,
>>
>> We got the communication from the board to prepare for our joint session
>> in the Mumbai meeting. They are asking us if we have any questions/topics
>> we want to share with them and they give us their 2 questions for
>> discussion.
>>
>> Please share your input/comments.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Rafik
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
>>
>> *Sent on behalf of Tripti Sinha, Chair, ICANN Board of Directors*
>>
>> Dear Noncommercial Stakeholder Group Chair,
>>
>> While global challenges continue to shape and, at times, complicate our
>> work, our shared commitment to a stable, secure, and unified Internet
>> remains as important as ever. I would like to express how much the Board
>> and I look forward to continuing working with you to advance ICANN’s
>> mission.
>>
>> In this spirit, we also very much look forward to seeing you in person
>> at our upcoming ICANN meeting in Mumbai, India, 9–12 March. This meeting
>> will provide an important opportunity to reconnect, exchange views, and
>> reinforce our collaboration as we enter important phases for ICANN, with
>> the launch of the New gTLD Program 2026 Round but also considering the
>> forthcoming steps related to the WSIS+20 Outcomes Document and the upcoming
>> Plenipotentiary Conference.
>>
>> Over the years, strengthening collaboration and maintaining clear, fluid
>> communication between the Board and the community has proven essential.
>> Ongoing dialogue with the community continues to be a key focus for the
>> Board; however, it is equally important that these interactions represent a
>> meaningful and effective use of everyone’s time. As no critical topics
>> requiring discussion ahead of ICANN85 have been identified at this stage,
>> the Prep Week community session originally scheduled for 24 February will
>> be canceled. The Board remains committed to open dialogue and will continue
>> to convene community discussions as substantive matters emerge.
>>
>> During the meeting in Mumbai, we will listen carefully to your specific
>> needs during our bilateral sessions. In keeping with our established
>> practice, we would like to ask the following questions of your group in
>> advance of our joint session. *Please choose one of those questions if
>> you don’t feel you have the time to address both*:
>>
>>    1. *The ICANN Five Year FY26-30 Strategic plan highlights priorities
>>    that support ICANN’s vision for 2030.*
>>
>> *The annual strategy review program is launching at ICANN85. *
>>
>>    - *This program provides a structured way to assess whether updates
>>       to the FY26-30 Strategic Plan are needed, to reflect changes in the
>>       external environment and ICANN’s internal capability*
>>
>> *From your perspective, what is the top emerging trend that may impact **ICANN
>> that you think the Board should consider?  *
>>
>>    2.
>> *How is your group participating in the Review of Reviews Cross Community
>>    Group and what are your thoughts on how the proposals to date are evolving
>>    reviews to be more fit for purpose and sustainable? In particular, would **you
>>    **share your views on the respective roles of self-assessment (as in
>>    the Continuous Improvement Program) and contemplated assessment of SOs and
>>    ACs by the broader community in the context of a Reviews program?*
>>
>> We kindly request that you send any questions you would like the Board to
>> address during our face-to-face meetings to Board Operations  *no later
>> than Wednesday 25th February*. Given the limited time available for the
>> discussion, please prioritize your questions.
>>
>> We look forward to our discussions together in Mumbai.
>>
>> Thank you for your continued commitment to ICANN’s mission.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Tripti Sinha
>> Chair, ICANN Board of Directors
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kathy Kleiman
>> Past President, Domain Name Rights Coalition
>>
>>
>
> Rafik Dammak
> @rafik
> "fight for the users"
>
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