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GAC Consensus Advice

Applicant Response Form | Applicant Responses | GAC Consensus Advice

The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) can issue Consensus Advice to the ICANN Board at any time, as outlined in the ICANN Bylaws, including on New gTLD Program applications or aspects of the New gTLD Program.

When the Board receives GAC Consensus Advice relating to New gTLD Program applications, ICANN publishes it to this webpage and notifies affected applicants via the TLD Application Management System (TAMS).

Applies toAn application or any other aspect of the New gTLD Program regarded as sensitive or problematic by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC).
Submitted byGAC
TimelineAt any time
Requirements
  • Clearly state that it is GAC Consensus Advice,
  • Include clearly articulated rationale,
  • Be limited to the scope set out in the applicable Bylaws, and
  • Elaborate on any "interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues." (Section 12.2 of the Bylaws)
Applicant NotificationICANN notifies affected applicants via TAMS
Applicant Response

Upon notification that ICANN has received GAC Consensus Advice, the applicant has 21 days to submit a response.

Important: If the response is received after the deadline, the GAC and the ICANN Board may not take it into account.

Responses are published on the ICANN Community Wiki and made available to the Board and the GAC to consider.

How to Respond

To respond to GAC Consensus Advice, download this form and follow the instructions to complete and submit it.
ImpactThe Board will consider the GAC Consensus Advice in accordance with the ICANN Bylaws and determine whether the application may proceed, proceed with certain modifications, or not proceed.
Resources

Applicant Guidebook:

Other resources: