[Ncsg-discuss] Draft Comments

Fri Jan 16 09:56:33 EET 2026

Dear Farza,

thanks a lot i'll go through your comments,

Best,
________________________________
De : farzaneh badii <farzaneh.badii at gmail.com>
Envoyé : vendredi 16 janvier 2026 08:44
À : Houda CHIHI <houda.chihi at supcom.tn>
Cc : NCSG-DISCUSS at listserv.syr.edu <NCSG-DISCUSS at listserv.syr.edu>
Objet : Re: Draft Comments

Hi Houda,

I appreciate it. I am not so sure the comment directly addresses some of the core issues.

So  here is a redraft:

The Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) <http://ncsg.is> appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Proposed GNSO Process for ICANN Board to Reverse Adoption of GNSO Policy Recs<https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/proceeding/proposed-gnso-process-for-icann-board-to-reverse-adoption-of-gnso-policy-recs-20-11-2025>. As a home for civil society and non-commercial users, our primary concern is ensuring that any new Board powers do not undermine the bottom-up, multistakeholder model or bypass established community consensus.
While we recognize the need to close the procedural gap identified during the SubPro process, we believe the current recommendation requires stronger safeguards to protect due process.
1. Tightening Subjective Language
The proposed phrase "sparingly and only where deemed necessary" is  subjective. To prevent potential overreach, the NCSG recommends:

  *   Mandatory Evidentiary Standard: Reversal must be predicated on material, documented new information that was not available during the PDP.
  *   Harm Analysis: The Board should explicitly demonstrate that implementation could put public interest or human rights at risk or violate ICANN’s Core Values.

2. Protecting Volunteer Timelines
The current 60–90 day window for a GNSO Council response is insufficient for the volunteer-led non-commercial community to conduct thorough internal consultations.

  *   Recommended Extension: We advocate for a minimum of 90 days, with a provision for a further 60-day extension upon request, to ensure civil society organizations have adequate time for deliberation.

3. Transparency and Accountability
To ensure the Board does not act unilaterally, the process should include:

  *   Public Comment Requirement: A mandatory 10-day public comment period following the issuance of the "Board Statement" but prior to the final reversal vote.
  *   Independent Review: Community members can ask the ombuds office or an equivalent neutral party should provide a non-binding opinion on the merit of the reversal request before it is finalized.

4. Human Rights and End-User Impact Assessment
A reversal of a GNSO recommendation often could have significant implications for individual rights online (either enhance or put them at risk). The NCSG provides that that:

  *   The Board's "Board Statement" should detail how the reversal (or the original policy implementation) specifically impacts end-user rights such as online privacy, freedom of expression, and accessibility.
  *   Conclusion: The NCSG remains wary of any mechanism that expands Board discretion at the expense of community-led policy development. We urge the GNSO Council to integrate these guardrails to ensure the Board's reversal power is a measure of last resort, governed by objective criteria, robust human rights analysis, and transparent procedures.

Farzaneh

On Fri, Jan 16, 2026 at 2:07 AM Houda CHIHI <houda.chihi at supcom.tn<mailto:houda.chihi at supcom.tn>> wrote:
Dear Michaela,

Thank you so much for your comments that we will discuss more following the meeting that we will schedule further,

Good Day !
________________________________
De : Michaela Nakayama Shapiro <michaela.shapiro at article19.org<mailto:michaela.shapiro at article19.org>>
Envoyé : vendredi 16 janvier 2026 02:04
À : NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> <NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>>
Cc : Houda CHIHI <houda.chihi at supcom.tn<mailto:houda.chihi at supcom.tn>>
Objet : Re: Draft Comments

INTERNAL

Hi all,

A heads-up that I have added some suggested language to the draft document<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iAFhtQgxDikZ9jLbv2fwFeqbOwLHZTMLEMAZeSVVDUc/edit?tab=t.0>. I would especially appreciate any feedback on my suggestion to clarify the terms for which a call for a reversal can be issued, in addition to the other suggestions. I'm also very happy to discuss further!

Best,

Michaela

________________________________
From: NCSG-Discuss <NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>> on behalf of Michaela Nakayama Shapiro <00001b332dc2b5b0-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:00001b332dc2b5b0-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>>
Sent: 13 January 2026 03:30
To: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> <NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>>
Subject: Re: Draft Comments

INTERNAL

Hi Houda,

Thank you for getting this started! I would be happy to take a look later this week and add any thoughts.

A quick request: if you could please grant editing access to the doc that would be greatly appreciated! I was also wondering where the questions at the bottom of the document (under 'V. Proposed Questions’) came from? Is that from the call for public comment? Or are these suggestions questions to include as part of our contribution?

Best,

Michaela

From: NCSG-Discuss <NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>> on behalf of Houda CHIHI <houda.chihi at SUPCOM.TN<mailto:houda.chihi at SUPCOM.TN>>
Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 10:50
To: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> <NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>>
Subject: Draft Comments

Dear All,

hope that you are doing well, please we need volunteers to help in commenting a draft about :"Proposed GNSO Process for ICANN Board to Reverse Adoption of GNSO Policy Recs,"

Please let me know if you want to join.

You can find the public comments draft below

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iAFhtQgxDikZ9jLbv2fwFeqbOwLHZTMLEMAZeSVVDUc/edit?tab=t.0

Thanks in advance,
Michaela Nakayama Shapiro (she/her/hers)
Programme Officer - Censorship
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