ICANN Reviews

As a public service organization, ICANN's bylaws establish the scope and direction of the organization's mission, commitments, and core values. The Bylaws specify review processes for ICANN and its stakeholder organizations. The review processes are designed to ensure that ICANN is performing its mission in the best way possible. Reviews aim to evaluate the health of the multistakeholder model, ICANN transparency and accountability, organizational effectiveness, and the security and stability of the DNS.

Specific Reviews

ICANN's operations are subject to periodic Specific Reviews, enumerated in Article 4.6 of the bylaws:

• Accountability and Transparency (ATRT) - focused on ICANN operations
• Security, Stability, & Resiliency (SSR) - focused on the DNS
• Registration Directory Service (RDS/WHOIS) - focused on registration data and public access to registration information
• Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice (CCT) - ushered in as part of the New gTLD Program, this review is focused on the domain marketplace and the experience of registrants and other consumers

Timing & Process

ATRT, SSR, and RDS/WHOIS reviews must take place periodically, and no more than five years after the last review team was convened A CCT review is initiated one year after the launch of a New gTLD application round.

The review process timeline extends two to three years and involves multiple opportunities for participation, public comment, and deliberation among stakeholders.

Organizational Reviews

Each supporting organization and advisory committee, as well as the Nominating Committee is periodically reviewed pursuant to Article 4.4 of the Bylaws. The GAC is exempted from Article 4.4, although it is charged to implement and deploy its own review processes.