There is a problem that needs fixing, and it is related to the amount of time that the ICANN Board of Directors has spent in their review of the Proposed Policy for a Review Mechanism Pertaining to IFO decisions which apply to ccTLDs (CCRM). It is time for the Final Decision.

This proposed policy was provided to the ICANN Board of Directors in June of 2023 by the ccNSO.

ICANN’s Bylaws, Annex B, Section 15, outlines the process and timeline for the Board of Directors to consider policy recommendations forwarded by the Supporting Organization Council. Upon receiving a policy recommendation, the Board has the following obligations:

1. Initial Consideration: The Board is required to meet and discuss the Council’s recommendation as soon as feasible, but no later than the next scheduled Board meeting.
2. Public Comment Period: Before making a final decision, the Board must initiate a public comment period, allowing stakeholders to provide input on the proposed policy.
3. Final Decision: After considering the public comments, the Board should make a final decision on the policy recommendation. While the Bylaws do not specify an exact timeframe for this decision, the Board is expected to act in a timely manner, balancing thorough consideration with the need for prompt action.

In summary, while the Bylaws mandate prompt initial consideration and a public comment period, they do not stipulate a specific deadline for the Board’s final vote on policy recommendations from the Supporting Organization Council.

Did the Board of Directors operate as expected, in a "timely manner"?

The board of directors did review the proposed policy, although it may not have pedantically been to the letter of the bylaws to where it occurred at the next scheduled Board meeting, so let's be generous and say #1 was completed.

There was a public comment period conducted in order to satisfy #2, conducted from August 1, 2023 to November 7, 2023. This commend period received four (4) responses, coming from the ICANN Business Constituency (BC), At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), and from one ccTLD operator, TWNIC (.TW).

Since November of 2023, there have been three (3) ICANN public meetings where the board of directors meet and conduct their voting or discussions, and as best can be determined from fast research, at least another five (5) intersessional meetings as well as at least one (1) board retreat.

The public meetings:

1. ICANN79 Community Forum: Conducted from March 2–7, 2024, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 
2. ICANN80 Policy Forum: Took place from June 10–13, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda. 
3. ICANN81 Annual General Meeting: Occurred from November 9–14, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

The next scheduled meeting is the ICANN82 Community Forum, set for March 8–13, 2025, in Seattle, USA. 

Between November 7, 2023, and March 4, 2025, ICANN has held three Public Meetings, with the the next public meeting scheduled to commence March 8, 2025.

Here is a list of the intersessional meetings:

1. Regular Meeting on January 21, 2024: This meeting included discussions on various topics, including the approval of amendments to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) and Base Registry Agreement (Base RA) related to combating DNS Abuse. 
2. Regular Meeting on September 7, 2024: During this meeting, the Board addressed several matters, such as the renewal of the Root Zone Maintainer Agreement (RZMA) and the appointment of the Organizational Effectiveness Committee (OEC) Chair. 
3. Regular Meeting on November 10, 2024: The Board further considered the Independent Review Process (IRP) Final Declaration in the Namecheap, Inc. v. ICANN case concerning .BIZ, .INFO, and .ORG. 
4. Regular Meeting on November 14, 2024: This meeting involved discussions on various topics, including issues related to contention set resolution for the new gTLD Program and the approval of the amended gTLD Registries Stakeholder Group Charter. 
5. Special Meeting on November 25, 2024: A telephonic meeting was held to address specific matters requiring the Board’s attention. 

Between November 7, 2023, and March 4, 2025, there have been at least five (5) ICANN Board of Directors meetings beyond those at the regional meetings.

The last documented ICANN Board of Directors retreat ocurred in September of 2024.

That's a lot of time and quite a few opportunities

Essentially, there has been ample time for attention to this matter from the ICANN Board of Directors. 

Even the most liberal interpretation of the word "Timely" does not stretch to fit the 17 months that have transpired since the conclusion of the November 2023 comment period, given the ample opportunities and meetings where the Board could have acted.

Is this an issue with Bylaws needing to be more clear and precise? A reasonable interpretation of "Timely" might typically mean a period or 60 days, or perhaps to be conservative, 180 days.   Would a different, more narrow term help add clarity to timing and allow everyone to be aligned in their expectations and deliverables?

Is this, instead, a matter of avoiding ruling on a contentious matter or other risk aversion?

Whatever the case may be, it is quite certainly past the elapsed number of months to meet the "Timely" element of the bylaws.   

What is very clear...
It is absolutely time to act.