1. Effectiveness of GAC Advice
BGRI-WG
ICANN60 Meeting – Abu Dhabi

2. Background
In Dublin, the GAC raised the need to periodically review whether and how effective the Board has taken GAC Advice into account
GAC secretariat, ACIG, was tasked with analyzing and preparing a review report on the issue
The report revealed that, in some cases, it is extremely difficult to determine:
Whether (or not) ICANN Board has accepted GAC Advice,
Where there is clear evidence that advice has been accepted, to what degree it has been implemented, and
Whether or not the GAC feel the implementation adequately meets GAC’s original intent
The Board referred the issue to the BGRI-WG to analyze the review report and develop its final recommendations to the GAC and the Board

3. Agreed actions to address identified issues
Confirm, or fine tune, the current definition of what constitutes GAC Advice
Agree on the structure, elements and aspects of GAC advice, and agree on a template to be followed in any GAC written Advice
Investigate the need for a post communique Board-GAC exchange, in order to clarify areas of uncertainty in the issued communique
Review and consolidate, mechanisms for logging and tracking GAC Advice to the Board, into a single, transparent, easy to access, and easy to manage portal
Review the features of this new platform or portal to ensure the ability to archive, track, retrieve, search, and/or categorize GAC Advice in a satisfactory manner
Review the existing GAC records, see if there are any missing details, and if yes, see whether they can be completed
Document the overall process, of providing GAC Advice to the Board, in a flow chart, illustrating checkpoints, roles and responsibilities
Agree on how to institutionalize all agreed elements of the process, in order to ensure consistency of their implementation
Investigate the need to review GAC Operating Principles in light of the final outcomes of the BGRI- WG.

4. Expectations at this meeting
Adopt the (reviewed) description of what constitutes GAC Advice,
Agree on the following set of activities that the BGRI-WG should start working on, and the expected time frame for each.

5. Adopt “What Constitutes GAC Advice”
GAC Advice is advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN’s policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues.
GAC Advice is embodied in a written communication where the specific advice is clearly marked as such, has a clearly stated proposal for action(s) by the Board, and explains the underlying rationale for its Advice.
GAC Advice is provided in accordance with the GAC Operating Principles, and is duly considered, accepted, or rejected by the Board in accordance with Section 12.2 (a)(x-xi) of the ICANN Bylaws.

6. Agree on following set of activities
Confirm, or fine tune, the current definition of what constitutes GAC Advice
Agree on the structure, elements and aspects of GAC advice, and agree on a template to be followed in any GAC written Advice
Investigate the need for a post communique Board-GAC exchange, in order to clarify areas of uncertainty in the issued communique
Review and consolidate, mechanisms for logging and tracking GAC Advice to the Board, into a single, transparent, easy to access, and easy to manage portal
Review the features of this new platform or portal to ensure the ability to archive, track, retrieve, search, and/or categorize GAC Advice in a satisfactory manner
Review the existing GAC records, see if there are any missing details, and if yes, see whether they can be completed
Document the overall process, of providing GAC Advice to the Board, in a flow chart, illustrating checkpoints, roles and responsibilities
Agree on how to institutionalize all agreed elements of the process, in order to ensure consistency of their implementation
Investigate the need to review GAC Operating Principles in light of the final outcomes of the BGRI-WG.

7. Thank You ..