Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened a Public Comment proceeding to receive input on the final policy recommendations of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Policy Development Process on the Retirement of Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs).
Link to Public Comment Proceeding:
https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/proceeding/ccnso-proposed-policy-on-the-retirement-of-cctlds-22-11-2021
Open for Submissions Date:
Monday, 22 November 2021
Closed for Submissions Date:
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Category:
Policy
Requester:
ICANN Board
What We Need your Input On:
The ccNSO has submitted its proposed policy on the retirement of ccTLDs to the ICANN Board. Your input is sought on the proposed policy. The full Retirement Policy as proposed by the ccNSO is included in Annex A of the Board Report (Sections 1-5, Final Paper of the Retirement Working Group).
Background:
In December 2015, the ccNSO Council discussed the launch of a ccNSO Policy Development Process to address the lack of policy with respect to the retirement of ccTLDs and to introduce a review mechanism on issues pertaining to the delegation, transfer, revocation, and retirement of ccTLDs.
After requesting an Issue Report the ccNSO Council decided to initiate the third ccNSO policy development process (ccPDP3) with the initial focus on developing a policy for the retirement of ccTLDs (Part 1), and only after substantive work on that topic has been concluded, focus on the development of policy recommendations for a review mechanism pertaining to decisions on delegation, transfer, revocation, and retirement of ccTLDs (Part 2).
The ccNSO Working Group on Retirement of Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) concluded its work in February 2021 and its Final Paper was included in the Initial Report of the ccPDP3. Although the Initial Report should be published after both Part 1 and Part 2 are completed, it was suggested that each part under ccPDP3 should follow its own course. The Initial Report on the Retirement of ccTLDs was published for Public Comment in April 2021. On 4 June 2021, the ccNSO Council decided to separate the policy development efforts on the retirement of ccTLDs from the review mechanism.
The recommended Retirement Policy as contained in the Final Report was submitted first to the ccNSO Council. The ccNSO Council adopted the proposed policy on 17 June 2021 and the proposed policy was, as required under Annex B of the Bylaws, subsequently submitted to the members of ccNSO for their consideration and to seek their support adoption. The ccNSO membership supported the ccNSO Council recommendation: out of 172 members, 100 voted (58%), of which 94 were in favor and 6 were not. The ccNSO Council approved the Board Report on 16 September 2021, which was then submitted to the ICANN Board on 28 September 2021.
Next Steps
Following this Public Comment proceeding, the ICANN Board is expected to act on the approved policy recommendations.