Technical Liaison Group

TLG is the abbreviation for Technical Liaison Group. It was established with a view to connect the Board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) with all the relevant sources that would provide help in typical matters that relate to the activities of the ICANN.

Composition

The TLG comprises of four organizations, which are mentioned below:

• The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
• The Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
• The World Wide Web Consortium or W3C
• The International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Telecommunication Standardization Sector.

Role

The main role of the TLG organizations is to channel all the relevant and necessary technical information and act as a guide to the Board as well as other entities of ICANN. This role of the TLG has been divided into two components. Firstly, the TLG connects the Board and other Bodies of ICANN with the relevant sources that provide them with all the necessary technical expertise. And secondly, it also plays the role of a ‘watchdog’ and advises the Board about the latest technical developments and the impact they may have in the decision-making process of the Board of ICANN.

Working

Each one of the four organizations of the TLG designates two individuals who are technical experts and are familiar with the technical standardization issues related to the activities of ICANN. These eight individuals need to be present as and when necessary.

TLG and ICANN

The TLG has been granted a right to select one voting delegate to the Nominating Committee (NomCom) of ICANN. Any one of the TLG organization has the right to appoint a non-voting liaison to the Board. The TLG organizations do this on a rotational basis except for the Internet Architectural Board as the IETF appoints a non-voting liaison to the Board as well as selects the delegate to the Nominating Committee of ICANN.

Nominating Committee

Internet Engineering Task Force