Board Recall

This is just a simplified summary of how the full ICANN Board can be recalled. For the full details, refer to the official ccNSO Guideline and ICANN Bylaws (Article 6 and Annex D).

Case 1 - the ccNSO, as a Decisional Participant, starts the process

Step 1: Who Can Submit a Petition to Recall the ICANN Board?

• • ccTLD (country code Top-Level Domain) Managers
  • Individuals connected to a ccTLD Manager (e.g. employees)
  • ccNSO working groups or committees given the task
  • Regional ccTLD organizations
  • Members of the ccNSO Council

To move forward, the petition must meet certain criteria listed in Annex D of the ICANN Bylaws. This is called the Board Recall Petition.

Step 2: Council Verifies the Petition

The ccNSO Council reviews the petition to ensure it meets all the required criteria.

Step 3: Council Decides to Accept or Reject the Petition

Within 19 days of receiving the petition, the ccNSO Council must decide whether to accept or reject it.

If accepted, the Council must notify:

• • The Empowered Community Administration (ECA)
  • Other Decisional Participants
  • The ICANN Secretary

Step 4: Seek Support from Another Decisional Participant

If the ccNSO submitted the petition, the Council must ask at least one other Decisional Participant to support the petition. This must happen within 7 days of notifying the others.

Step 5: Community Forum

If another Decisional Participant agrees to support the petition, a special forum will be held. The broader ccTLD community is invited to provide input and feedback to help inform the discussion. This is called the Board Recall Community Forum.

Step 6: Final Decision by the ccNSO Council

After hearing from the community and consulting with ccNSO members, the Council will vote. A supermajority (more than two-thirds) is required to support the petition.

Step 7: Informing the Community

If the decision to support the petition becomes effective, the Council Chair (or another designated person) must notify the EC Administration, other Decisional Participants, and the ICANN Secretary within 24 hours, in writing.

Case 2 - Another Group starts the process

Another Decisional Participant (not the ccNSO) may begin the process to recall (remove) the entire ICANN Board. Here's how the ccNSO responds to that process.

Step 1: Notification of  the ccNSO

As soon as the ccNSO’s representative on the Empowered Community Administration (ECA) is informed that another Decisional Participant is considering removal, the ccNSO Council and members are notified that the process has begun.

Step 2:  Gathering Input from ccNSO Members

ccNSO members are invited to share their views on the petition. They have up to one week before the Council’s decision meeting to give their input.

Step 3: Council Decision to Support or Reject

The ccNSO Council will decide within 19 days whether to support or reject the petition.
The Chair of the Council must then inform the ECA, other Decisional Participants, and the ICANN Secretary of the decision.

Step 4: Community Forum

If the ccNSO (or another Decisional Participant) supports the petition, a Board Recall Community Forum will be held.

Step 5: Final Decision by the ccNSO Council

After hearing from the community and consulting with ccNSO members, the Council will vote. A supermajority (more than two-thirds) is required to support the petition.

Step 6: Informing the Community

If the decision to support the petition becomes effective, the Council Chair (or another designated person) must notify the EC Administration, other Decisional Participants, and the ICANN Secretary within 24 hours, in writing.

The process description above is just a high-level overview. The full process is described in the relevant ccNSO Guideline, which details the relevant sections in Article 6 and ANNEX D of the ICANN Bylaws.

As one of the five Decisional Participants in the Empowered Community, the ccNSO ensures that the voices of ccTLD managers are represented in ICANN’s governance. The role of the ccNSO Council’s role in the Board Recall Process is crucial for:

• Reviewing and analyzing petitions submitted by members of the ccTLD community timely.
• Consulting with ccNSO members to gather input and determine whether to support or reject the petition to recall the Board.
• Ensuring that ICANN’s decisions align with the needs and priorities of ccTLDs and the broader Internet community.

By participating in the Board Recall Process, the ccNSO helps safeguard the accountability and transparency of ICANN’s decision-making processes, ensuring that key decisions benefit the global ICANN ecosystem in general and the ccTLD community specifically.