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<h2 style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Proposed Final
Implementation Plan: IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process </span></h2>
<p style="margin-top:11.25pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">30
September 2009</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ICANN is pleased to announce
the public posting of the <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/idn-cctld-implementation-plan-30sep09-en.pdf">Proposed
Final Implementation Plan for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process</a> [PDF, 897K].
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The IDN ccTLD Fast Track
Process is an important step at making the Internet equally accessible for
everyone. It will enable the introduction of a limited number of
internationalized country-code top level domain names (IDN ccTLDs). Once
implemented, this will be the first time that users can obtain a domain name with
the entire string in characters based on their native language. The process
will be available to all countries and territories where the official language
is based on scripts other than the Latin (extended) script. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The proposed final plan is
scheduled for ICANN Board consideration at the ICANN meeting in Seoul, Korea,
26-30 October 2009. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The proposed launch date for
the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is 16 November 2009. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ICANN is looking forward to
feedback on the proposed final plan in the public comment forum designated for
that purpose. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The proposed final plan has
been developed based on responses to community comments and discussions. See
the latest status update at: <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-09sep09-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-09sep09-en.htm</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As noted there are a number
of outstanding topics that has been discussed in public comment on
implementation proposals of the Fast Track Process since the initial version of
the Draft Implementation Plan was released on 23 October 2008. These include:
(i) the form of relationship between an IDN ccTLD manager and ICANN, (ii) cost
considerations regarding contribution to processing and TLD support costs,
(iii) management of variant TLDs. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Solutions to these issues
have been discussed, and while current opinions or positions of each community
segment is well understood, it is believed that additional discussions on these
topics will not facilitate further community agreement on these topics. In
order to avoid delay to the launch of the Fast Track Process and its associated
benefits these topics have been provided for ICANN Board consideration. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Background</span></strong><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Fast Track
Process is a mechanism to introduce a limited number of non-contentious internationalized
country-code top level domain names (IDN ccTLDs). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The initial version and three
subsequent revisions of the implementation of the Fast Track Process were
discussed at several meetings and online. That community input resolved a
number of issues. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As a result of the progress
on the implementation effort, at the recent ICANN meeting in Mexico, Mexico
City, the Board encouraged the community to "<em><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">…continue its work so that the implementation plan can be
finalized and considered by the Board no later than at its annual meeting in
2009".</span></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The release of the Proposed
Final Implementation Plan is an effort to meet the goal set out in the ICANN
Board resolution aimed at enabling positive consideration by the ICANN Board at
their meeting in Seoul, Korea (30 October 2009), followed by launch of the
process. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The papers listed below are
proposed only. Potential IDN ccTLD requestors should not rely on any of the
proposed details as they remain subject to further consultation and revision. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Please also note that it is
expected there will be several updates to this announcement, as papers are
released, finalized and translated. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Related links: </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/idn-cctld-implementation-plan-30sep09-en.pdf">Proposed
Final Implementation Plan for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process</a> [PDF, 897K]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Public comment period for IDN
ccTLD Fast Track Process: <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200907.html#fast-track"><br>
http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/public-comment-200907.html#fast-track</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Staff considerations on
received comments: (coming) </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">IDNC Working Group Final
Report (with public comments): <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/staff-considerations-idnc-wg-final-report-23oct08-en.pdf"><br>
http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/staff-considerations-idnc-wg-final-report-23oct08-en.pdf</a>
[PDF, 269K] </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process
webpage: <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/</a></span></p>
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