What is ICANN?

You might be wondering, "What is ICANN?" ICANN is a nonprofit multi-stakeholder group that coordinates the procedures and maintenance of several databases and is tasked with ensuring that the Internet is stable. As a nonprofit organization, ICANN is run by a volunteer board of directors. You can learn more about ICANN by reading this article. This article contains the most frequently asked questions about the organization.

ICANN manages the Internet's unique identifiers

In addition to the operation of websites, ICANN is also involved in the management of IP Addresses, the Domain Name System, and Root Servers. Each device connected to the Internet has a digital label called an IP Address. Just like the address on a letter, an IP Address helps computers locate one another. The same goes for websites. To access any webpage, a computer must know its IP address.

ICANN is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of independent members and representatives of the five Regional Internet Registries. The Board is made up of 21 members, of which fifteen have voting rights and six are non-voting liaisons. The majority of voting members are selected by an independent nominating committee, while the remaining nine are elected by supporting organizations. Once elected, a president and CEO are appointed by the Board.

It accredits registrars

ICANN accredits a wide range of registrars, from ISPs to small, local businesses. The registrar accreditation process is rigorous, and takes several months. After accreditation, the registrar has to prove its financial stability and that it will have adequate protection in case of business failure. The accreditation process costs $3,500 for the initial application and a subsequent $4,000 a year.

In general, registrars must meet certain requirements in order to register and sell domain names. A registrar must be accredited by ICANN in order to sell domain names. While ICANN accredits registrars in general, ccTLD registrars accredit registrars through separate processes. This is why many registrars use different terms and use different methods for accreditation.

It has a multi-stakeholder process

There are many guidelines and examples to follow when conducting a multi-stakeholder process, and it's best to start by familiarizing yourself with these concepts. In addition to highlighting the principles of multi-stakeholder processes, the guides include information on how to run a multi-stakeholder process. These guidelines and examples have been developed in different contexts, but their basic principles remain the same.

There are a variety of definitions and selection processes for multi-stakeholder groups. Governments are one such category, and include government offices of all levels, regional inter-governmental organizations, and technical experts in specific government departments. On the other hand, civil society includes non-state organizations at the national, regional, and international level, such as social movements, religious bodies, professional associations, and humanitarian groups.

It has an open decision-making process

There are three levels of governance within ICANN: the Board of Directors, the Executive team, and the Technical Liaison Group. These levels are responsible for making decisions, whereas the Board of Directors makes final decisions about the policies of ICANN. The Board is comprised of 21 members, of which 15 have voting rights and six are non-voting liaisons. Voting members are chosen by an independent Nominating Committee, with the remaining two categories of members being elected by supporting organisations.

ICANN has an open decision-making policy that is made with a transparent and inclusive decision-making process. The goal of universal resolvability is to ensure that results are consistent and predictable no matter where you are in the world. While not every policy issue reaches a major milestone every month, each new development is reported in the Policy Update, which links to the most recent past article for reference.