1. The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Internet Corporation for 
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) met in Carthage, Tunisia 26-28 October 2003. 
The participating GAC Members, included representatives from 39 national 
governments, distinct economies as recognised in international fora, and 
multinational governmental and treaty organisation. The GAC addressed several 
current policy issues affecting ICANN, longer term issues of concern to GAC 
members, and GAC's future structure and organisation.
2. GAC heard a report from the ICANN Executive, particularly regarding the 
issues currently on ICANN's agenda and changes in the management, staffing and 
the creation of Regional Offices. ICANN presented a thorough review of ccTLD 
Re-delegation policies and operations. GAC welcomes ICANN's intention to further 
improve the performance of the IANA function and encourages the continued 
implementation of measures to increase efficiency in the IANA function, in 
consultation with the stakeholders, as appropriate. 
3. ccTLD Policies: 
Pending re-delegations continue to be a concern to a number of GAC members. 
GAC encouraged ICANN to address the issues of delegation and re-delegation in 
priority. 
GAC reviewed progress in creating the ccNSO, recalled its advice to ICANN in 
Montreal and encouraged continued work to ensure the fullest participation 
possible. 
GAC agreed to move forward with the up-dating of the GAC Principles for the 
Delegation and Administration of Country Code Top Level Domains. In this 
regard, the GAC stresses the importance of consultations with the ccTLD 
community and ICANN. 
4. Implementation of WIPO II recommendations: GAC welcomed the creation of the 
joint working group with GAC and representatives of ICANN constituencies. GAC 
recalls that the mandate of the working group is limited to "analysing the 
practical and technical aspects of implementing the WIPO II recommendations". 
Recalling its advice on this issue in Montreal, GAC regrets that the working 
group has not presented an outline and timetable for its work to the GAC meeting 
at Carthage and welcomes the request from the President of ICANN that the 
working group report to the Board at the ICANN meeting in Rome. 
5. Whois Data: GAC welcomed the initiative by the ICANN President's Advisory 
Committee to convene a Whois Workshop in Carthage and expressed strong interest 
in the agenda and outcome of the Workshop. The GAC Whois and gTLD working groups 
met with the GNSO council and discussed among other things the GNSO policy 
development process on Whois issues. The GAC reported on its efforts to compile 
information regarding public policy uses of Whois data by GAC members through a 
questionnaire. The GNSO Council expressed its interests in receiving the results 
of the GAC survey, as well as its appreciation for the GAC initiative. 
6. IPv6 is moving from the research stage to real use. It was agreed to 
accelerate the activity of the GAC IPv6 Working Group to exchange information 
and experience and to gather information on the IPv6 status on various systems 
on the Internet, including the DNS Root Server system and ccTLD Servers, and to 
consider the further steps to be taken by GAC. GAC welcomed the initiative of 
the IPv6 Workshop to encourage communication among interested parties on this 
matter. 
7. New Registry Services: GAC is following the debate about the use of DNS 
Wildcards and received a briefing from President and CEO of ICANN and the Chair 
of Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SECSAC) regarding its review of 
the Sitefinder service. GAC recognises that many interests in the Internet 
community are engaged in the debate regarding the introduction of this service, 
and have raised concerns regarding the competitive, technical and user 
implications of the service. 
GAC notes that the ICANN President has asked the GNSO to formulate a proposal 
for a timely, transparent and predictable procedure for the introduction of new 
registry services. GAC will continue monitoring these processes, particularly 
where they relate to public policy issues. 
8. DNS Security and Root Servers: GAC takes note of the efforts to date in 
deployment of Anycast to mirror the root servers and recognises the efforts 
undertaken by the root server operators to increase the security and stability 
of the root servers-system for the benefit of the whole Internet Community. GAC 
encourages the root server operators to make more information available in order 
to increase awareness and understanding of these issues. 
9. Outreach: GAC held a successful workshop dedicated to the Arab and African 
Regions with active participation from 17 countries, including government, 
private sector and civil society. Reinforcing communications among GAC members 
will continue to be encouraged on a regional basis. In view of the useful 
results, and following the Rio de Janeiro and Carthage precedents, further 
regional workshops will be considered for future meetings. 
10. GAC also considered the question of its future structure, organisation and 
financing. GAC has agreed a procedure for updating the Operating Principles and 
for the election of Vice Chairs later this year. A working group will be set up 
consider the structure, organisation and financing of GAC. 
11. The Governmental Advisory Committee expressed warm thanks to the Government 
of Tunisia and the Agence Tunisienne d'Internet for hosting and organising the 
meeting in Carthage. GAC noted with satisfaction that participation from members 
in the Africa and Arab regions was significantly greater on this occasion. 
12. Next Meeting: The next GAC face-to-face meeting will be in Rome, Italy, 
during the 27 February – 2 March 2004 period. Meanwhile, GAC will continue its 
work on-line, and through the Working Groups and Liaisons.