The Policy Advisory Board (PAB) came into existence on May 1st, 1997 in Geneva, in conjunction with the signing ceremony of the gTLD-MoU.

As stated in the gTLD-MoU, PAB is made up of signatories to the gTLD-MoU and includes relevant governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations industry and Internet operations organization. Any gTLD-MoU signatory may choose to voluntarily participate in the PAB.

As stated in the gTLD-MoU, the role of the PAB is to make recommendations to the POC

regarding general policy matters relating to gTLDs and the DNS and to advice the POC with

respect to amendments to this MoU and the CORE-MoU.

In particular, among others, the PAB will study the following subjects:

• Managing the PAB and what its role should be
• Further meetings to discuss MoUs
• Bringing more people and organisations to the gTLD-MoU
• Specific points on the gTLD-MoU and the Core-MoU when published
• Practical aspects of Registry applications
• Technical and bandwidth requirements for servers
• ISO TLDs and governance issues
• Trademark and legal issues.

The PAB shall generally apply rough consensus modes, when feasible, for determining its recommendations to the POC. If a vote is necessary, a 2/3 majority should be required to formally make recommendations to the POC.

(A voting mechanism should be set up for this purpose, including how many voices are necessary to call for a vote, 10%, 20% ?)

PAB meets periodically either in person or on-line. A minimum of one in-person meeting per

year is advisable. Formal in person meetings shall have been announced at a minimum of one month in advance of the meeting date including an agreed agenda detailing topics to be treated and decisions to be taken during that meeting.

The PAB will be managed by a stearing group (PABSG) consisting of 7 PAB members nominated by voting. Each PAB member organization can nominate candidates to the PABSG. Each PAB member organization having 7 votes to be used individually or aggregated applied between 1 to 7 candidates. The 7 candidates with the largest number of votes shall constitute the PABSG. Each candidate is nominated for a period of 2 year except at the first election 3 are nominated for a period of one year. The PABSG shall within itself nominate a chairperson and a secretary. The chairperson and the secretary will occupy the PAB seats in the POC.

(Can a registrar representative be in the PABSG and by that in the POC)?

The Steering group should bring proposals from different members of PAB into full documents that can be afterwards amended by the PAB, but which serve as a bases for discussion. The PABSG should also make the calls for rough consensus or for votes and organize voting mechanisms. Each member of the PABSG should be in charge of one specific subject. The role of their representatives in the POC is to communicate to the POC the advice and recommendations of the PAB and to defend them within that body.

(PABSPG == POC)?

Small teams focused on specific items will be set up and managed by the PAB Steering Group

as necessary to progress focused activities related to the overall mission.

• Decide on the first formal in person meeting place and its agenda
• Decide on decision making process
• Decide on PAB ToR
• Elect PAB Steering Group.

• First set of recommendations regarding the gTLD-MoU including representation in POC.
• First set of recommendations regarding the draft CORE-MoU
• Formal open PAB statement.
• Facilitate the implementation and operations of the registry software
• Make recommendations on the formal interaction between PAB/POC/CORE