The ICANN Board held an Open Session on WS2 implementation during its most recent meeting on 27 January 2019. The basic goals of the session were to clarify when the Board will make a decision on approving the package of recommendations, on what basis, and how the community will be consulted.

As a reminder, only one of the 112 recommendations put forth in the CCWG-Acc WS2 Final Report pertained to human rights. This was the recommendation that the board adopt the proposed Framework of Interpretation, thereby effecting ICANN’s dormant Human Rights Bylaw.

The WS2 recommendations were sent to the ICANN Board for approval on 8 November 2018. In theory, the Board should make their decision within 6 months. That timeline doesn’t seem to be binding, however, and there are a few things that need to happen first:

  • A small Implementation Team of WS2 Co-Chairs / Rapporteurs will be assembled to assist and provide advice as needed;
  • The Board will convene an internal “Caucus Group” to follow WS2 Implementation and report back on progress; and
  • ICANN Org will produce an Implementation Assessment Report to help Board consider report and feasibility of adopting recommendations as a package.

This Implementation Assessment Report will only provide high-level information on timing, costs, and dependencies to help set expectations. Any tradeoffs that may be needed with other policies, programs, or services will have to be consulted with the ICANN Community, though it’s not yet clear how or when that will happen. Until then, resources for WS2 Implementation have only been allocated as a contingency in ICANN’s draft budget for 2020.

Find more information about CCWG-Acc and WS2 here, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates on developments.

-Collin Kurre, CCWP-HR Chair