CcNSO

Industry:	ccTLDs
Founded:	2003
Members:	165
Website:	CCNSO.ICANN.org

The Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) is a body within ICANN created by and for ccTLD managers. It provides a forum for topical issues relating to ccTLDs from a global perspective.

Overview

The ccNSO provides a platform for nurturing consensus, technical cooperation, skill building and to facilitate for best practices for ccTLDs and their managers.

The ccNSO also develops and recommends global policies to the ICANN Board for issues relating to ccTLDs. These processes are managed by the ccNSO Council and typically organized through Working Groups. The limited number of issues addressed by this policy development process include issues such as the introduction of Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) ccTLDs.

The ccNSO provides ccTLD managers a way to work together with other stakeholders and communities, such as the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) or the Generic Names Supporting Organisation (GNSO).

History

One of the biggest complaints with the structuring of ICANN's DNSO came from ccTLD registry operators, who felt that the supporting organization was mainly concerned with gTLDs and that they needed their own separate organization. On October, 29, 2002, the country code managers emphasized their dissatisfaction by withdrawing completely from the DNSO. This action prompted and expedited the replacement of the DNSO with the GNSO, which was created in December, 2002. Work began on creating the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) in September, 2002, culminating in the creation of the ccNSO at ICANN 17 in June, 2003.

ccNSO Membership

Membership in the ccNSO is open to all ccTLD managers responsible for managing an ISO 3166 country-code top-level domain, but there are no fees or costs incurred by becoming a ccNSO member.

ccNSO Council

The ccNSO is overseen by its council, which is in charge of coordinating the functions of the larger group and managing its policy recommendations. The councillors lead many ccNSO discussions and aim to develop official community positions for their board recommendations. Between the 3 ICANN conferences the council makes a point of meeting via conference calls.

There are 3 councillors per global region, and also 3 councillors chosen by ICANN's NomCom. A term on the Council lasts three years, and the election cycle is staggered so that each year there are a total of 18 councillors representing 5 regions. The additional 3 chosen by the NomCom are chosen to represent a business perspective from outside the ccTLD community. All councillors are able to be re-appointed following the conclusion of their term.

Councillors

Current councillors include:

Africa:

• Abdalla Omari (Term ends March 2018)
• Abibu Ntahigiye (Term ends March 2019)
• Souleymane Oumtanaga (Term ends March 2020)

Asia Pacific

• Young Eum Lee (Term ends March 2018)
• Debbie Monahan (Term ends March 2019)
• Hirofumi Hotta (Term ends March 2020)

Europe

• Katrina Sataki (Term ends March 2018) (Chair)
• Peter Vergote (Term ends March 2019)
• Nigel Roberts (Term ends March 2020)

Latin America

• Margarita Valdes (Term ends March 2018)
• Demi Getschko (Term ends March 2019) (Vice Chair)
• Alejandra Reynoso (Term ends March 2020)

North America

• Byron Holland (Term ends March 2018) (Vice Chair)
• Pablo Rodriguez (Term ends March 2019)
• Stephen Deerhake (Term ends March 2020)

Nominating Committee Appointees

• Christelle Vaval (Term ends at Annual Meeting 2018)
• Jian Zhang (Term ends at Annual Meeting 2019)

The ccNSO also contributes one member to ICANN's NomCom, this position is currently held by Jörg Schweiger.

More Information

For more information of the ccNSO, visit their official website at ccNSO.ICANN.org.

Country Code Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board global policies relating to country-code top-level domains (ICANN Bylaws).

Internationalized Domain Name

Country code top-level domain

Governmental Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues (ICANN Bylaws).

Generic Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws (ICANN Bylaws).

Deprecated. Domain Name Supporting Organization. Predecessor of the Generic Names Supporting Organization, which advised the Board with respect to policy issues relating to the Domain Name System (ICANN Bylaws).

International Standards Organization

Nominating Committee