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Topics
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Activities
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GAC Working Groups
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GAC Appointments
Introduction:
Involvement in most ICANN community policy-related activities is open to all GAC participants based on their individual, country/territorial or organizational interest as, in those activities, their participation is generally made as individuals and not as a representative of the GAC or any of its positions.
From time to time, the GAC is invited (as an ICANN Advisory Committee) to make appointments to various ICANN org operational groups, activities and other community work efforts. In some of those situations, there may be an assigned or limited number of seats for GAC community participation where a volunteer from a government or intergovernmental body is of particular interest or value either for experience, perspective, topic familiarity or diversity considerations. In those types of situations, it is possible for there to be more volunteers than seats and the GAC Leadership is then faced with a choice from among a group of volunteer candidates.
To foster transparency and consistency of process, beginning in 2020, the GAC Leadership established an array of potential selection criteria to help them decide which volunteers to select for the roles that may become available for volunteer interest.
Considerations for Selection:
When a request is received seeking a GAC appointee, the full GAC membership is informed of the volunteer opportunity. In situations where more volunteers than available slots are received and there are otherwise no defined criteria for eligibility, the GAC Leadership considers the following array of criteria when trying to determine an appointee, liaison or representative from among a group of volunteer candidates: These criteria can include:
- Basic Eligibility limited to GAC delegates (e.g., an official GAC representative or formally identified member of a delegation)
- Appointee Experience (past or current service as a GAC appointee considered)
- Subject Matter Expertise (regarding topic of the work effort for which one has volunteered)
- Incumbency for the position being filled (experience or fresh perspective are both valid considerations)
- Diversity (e.g., geographical or other considerations to ensure general leadership balance at the time of appointment)
- Participation (how active are the various volunteers in GAC work efforts)
These criteria will be shared with the GAC Membership and may be modified from time to time.
GAC Cross-Community Appointments:
The current GAC appointee positions subject to these criteria going forward are as follows:
| Role | Appointee/Affiliation | Term (if applicable) |
| ICANN Fellowship Program Selection Committee | Zeina Bou Harb, Lebanon (Member) | April 2025 - 2027 |
| ICANN Fellowship Mentoring Program |
Tracy Hackshaw, Universal Postal Union
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ICANN84- ICANN85 ICANN86 |
| GAC Liaison to Customer Standing Committee |
Tracy Hackshaw, Universal Postal Union (GAC Liaison Appointee) Gloria Atwine Katuuku, Uganda (GAC Alternate Appointee) |
October 2024 – September 2026 |
|
GAC Appointee to the Independent Review Process - Implementation Oversight Team (IRP-IOT) |
Unfilled | |
| Independent Review Panel - Community Representative Group |
Unfilled |
|
| GAC Appointee to the Second IANA Function Review (IFR) Team | Edowaye Makanjuola, Nigeria | |
| Empowered Community Administration (ECA) | Nicolas Caballero, GAC Chair | |
| Work Stream 2 Community Coordination Group (CCG) |
Suada Hadzovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina Giacomo Mazzone, World Broadcasting Union Jorge Cancio, Switzerland |
|
| GAC Volunteer for ICANN Planning Prioritization Group |
Aderonke (Adeniyi) Sola-Ogunsola, Nigeria |
|
| ICANN Pilot Holistic Review |
Tracy Hackshaw, Universal Postal Union Bree Alexander, Australia |
|
| ICANN Continuous Improvement Program Community Coordination Group (CIP-CCG) |
Tracy Hackshaw, Universal Postal Union |
GAC Points of Contact:
Points of Contact serve as the primary liaison and facilitator between the GAC and the leadership of the associated ICANN community group. Operating principles, roles and responsibilities of the points of contact can be found in this document.
| Role | Appointee/Affiliation | Term |
| GAC Point of Contact to the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) | Kristina Hakobyan, Armenia | June 2023-January 2026 |
|
GAC Point of Contact to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) |
Ian Sheldon, Australia | December 2024-January 2026 |
|
GAC Point of Contact to the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) |
Manal Ismail, Egypt Rida Tahir, Canada |
December 2024-January 2026 |
|
GAC Point of Contact to the Universal Acceptance Steering Group |
Abdalmonem Galila, Egypt | October 2022-January 2026 |
GAC Working Groups Leadership:
As governed by the GAC Working Group Guidelines, individual GAC delegates volunteer their time to serve as chairs or co-chairs of the various working groups formed by the committee. Responsibilities of these volunteer leaders vary depending on the subject matter, topic or time frames regarding each working group.
The table below identifies the current GAC Working Group Chairs and/or Co-Chairs Vice and provides links to each working group home page.
| Working Group | Appointee / Affiliation | Role |
| GAC Working Group on Under-Served Regions (USRWG) |
Karel Douglas, Trinidad and Tobago Tracy Hackshaw, UPU |
Co-Chair Co-Chair |
| GAC Operating Principles Evolution Working Group (GOPEWG) |
Guo Feng, China Ian Sheldon, Australia |
Co-Chair Co-Chair |
| GAC Working Group on Human Rights and International Law (HRILWG) |
Giacomo Mazzone, WBU Suada Hadzovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Co-Chair Co-Chair |
| GAC Public Safety Working Group (PSWG) |
Gabriel Andrews, United States Federal Bureau of Investigation Janos Drienyovszki, European Commission |
Co-Chair
Co-Chair |
| GAC Universal Acceptance and Internationalized Domain Names Working Group (UA-IDN WG) | Unfilled |
GAC Topic Leads:
GAC delegates with particular expertise, interest and time on specific topics or subjects volunteer to serve as “topic leads” on various matters of interest identified in the GAC Strategic Objectives. These informal leaders help the committee by advising the GAC Leadership, leading the development of GAC strategies and positions for issues, organizing public meeting sessions and participating in various cross-community activities.
The table below identifies the current groups of topic leads who have volunteered to focus on various topics of interest to GAC Members. Please reach out to the GAC Chair or the GAC Support staff if you have a particular interest in serving as a topic lead volunteer on any issue of importance to the GAC.
| Topic | Appointee / Affiliation | Role |