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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Friends and Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I am pleased to share with you the draft Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy document, which, has gone out for public comments. The public comments page can be found at <a href="https://www.icann.org/public-comments/meac-strategy-2016-10-27-en">https://www.icann.org/public-comments/meac-strategy-2016-10-27-en</a>, and those willing to comment are encouraged to send their comments to <a href="mailto:meac.swg@icann.org">meac.swg@icann.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The strategy has identified 3 focus areas to tackle:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Support a Secure, Stable and Resilient DNS Infrastructure in the MEAC Region<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Promote a Healthy and Competitive Domain Name Marketplace in the MEAC Region<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Clarify ICANN's Role in an Evolving Internet Ecosystem through Engaging with the MEAC Community<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Those interested in ICANN’s are strongly encouraged to make their voices heard. We look forward to receiving your comments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Fahd Batayneh<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>ICANN<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Friday, October 28, 2016 5:25 AM<br><b>Subject:</b> ICANN News Alert -- Call for Public Comment on the Middle East and Adjoining Countries’ (MEAC) 2016-2019 Strategy<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.icann.org_&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=XYcXt1Tj9WoTO0SorZqGMv3vVpleX0yjVMKUaihFAfs&e="><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=94 height=94 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01D2310A.69EE13D0" alt=ICANN></span>[icann.org]</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>News Alert<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_news_announcement-2D2016-2D10-2D28-2Den&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=SA8f7F-fTPKg-U5EQ9rIM7brbiTWwYDYdLqTGvz-bNo&e=">https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-10-28-en[icann.org]</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-top:15.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div></div><h2 style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Call for Public Comment on the Middle East and Adjoining Countries’ (MEAC) 2016-2019 Strategy<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>28 October 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Today, ICANN’s <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy Working Group (</span></em><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_pages_viewpage.action-3FpageId-3D59642230&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=sqUxVjYBqt9COF3Z3ArnfjfIMvFFBuuTy_m6J9l3ugE&e="><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>MEAC-SWG</span></em>[community.icann.org]</a><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>)</span></em> announced a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_public-2Dcomments_meac-2Dstrategy-2D2016-2D10-2D27-2Den&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=fg5YtKaILRKmj1ZCe4zBbOgmZfG2P3OAO5cTrZ7YwRM&e=">call for public comment on the draft MEAC 2016-2019 strategy[icann.org]</a>. Consisting of 48 members and 2 observers, the <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_pages_viewpage.action-3FpageId-3D59642230&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=sqUxVjYBqt9COF3Z3ArnfjfIMvFFBuuTy_m6J9l3ugE&e="><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>MEAC-SWG</span></em>[community.icann.org]</a> was formed in June 2016 to develop ICANN’s regional engagement strategy. In developing the strategy, the MEAC-SWG followed the ICANN 2016-2020 strategic plan laid down in the ICANN bylaws, addressing the plan’s five strategic objectives below in the region. <o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Evolve and further globalize ICANN;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Support a healthy, stable, and resilient unique identifier ecosystem;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Advance organizational, technological and operational excellence;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Promote ICANN’s role and multistakeholder approach;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Develop and implement a global public interest framework bounded by ICANN’s mission.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The overall strategic objective is to “attract more active and engaged participants from the region to contribute to ICANN's policy development processes and to acquire leading roles within the ICANN community”. The strategy has identified three main focus areas:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Support a Secure, Stable and Resilient DNS Infrastructure in the MEAC Region<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Promote a Healthy and Competitive Domain Name Marketplace in the MEAC Region<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Clarify ICANN's Role in an Evolving Internet Ecosystem through Engaging with the MEAC Community<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The draft MEAC 2016-2019 strategy can be found <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_en_system_files_files_meac-2Dstrategy-2Ddraft-2D27oct16-2Den.pdf&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=7iAL6s4meTmyV4XdMWJTyWMYgg_1pkQ7inymbcxttEA&e=">here[icann.org]</a> [PDF, 1 MB]. Comments are due by Friday 18 November at 23.59 UTC. Comments should be submitted via email to <a href="mailto:meac.swg@icann.org">meac.swg@icann.org</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Background</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In late 2012, ICANN consulted Internet community members in the Middle East on the need for a strategy that defines ICANN’s engagement in the region. In early 2013, 22 community members from across the region came together to develop this new strategy. The group was called the Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG). The <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_display_MES_Documents&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=4tz7pA1XWv7UVswLJ4ajjhiG_qLVtY7e71WgVl4kQ9I&e=">strategy document[community.icann.org]</a> went through a public comment period before it was finalized and ready to be implemented. In implementing the strategy, the MESWG suggested developing implementation plans on an annual basis, in close collaboration with ICANN staff.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>While the three-year mandate of the Middle East strategy concluded on 30 June 2016, ICANN staff, along with the MESWG, rolled-up their sleeves early on to evaluate the strategy and, at the same time, seek input from the regional Internet community on the need of continuing the strategy for another three years. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>After public consultation at ICANN55 in Marrakech (5-10 March 2016) and productive discussions over the MEAC ICANN mailing list, the community suggested the establishment of a Charter Drafting Group (CDG) that would define the work methods of the new MEAC-SWG. The CDG worked from mid-April until mid-May of 2016, and published their <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_pages_viewpage.action-3FpageId-3D58738200&d=DQMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=pu7jN3q1ZBfuo7H0_TGgnLZ6DmTKXODkmnlRRHjLLAY&m=3v_SZy7YUYKglHBjx5uMPLDe_Hio5R6wA_YhAEpSE6M&s=tW3xFzshqKZEFDhUWxZq0bHSho1LZB0Bx-AljKKOzo8&e=">work[community.icann.org]</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In mid-May 2016, a public call was announced, seeking members and observers to join a new MEAC-SWG. 50 community members responded to that call, with 48 joining as members and two as observers.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>