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

Tue Feb 24 14:19:31 EET 2026

Hi,

 Reminder that we have to prepare our topics for board meeting by 25th
February.

Best,

Rafik

On Fri, Feb 20, 2026, 10:09 Maureen Owusu-Addae <
maureenowusuaddae2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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