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Public Comment

Public Comment is a vital part of our multistakeholder model. It provides a mechanism for stakeholders to have their opinions and recommendations formally and publicly documented. It is an opportunity for the ICANN community to effect change and improve policies and operations.

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Name: Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG)
Date: 21 Sep 2025
Email: [email protected]
Original Public Comment: Functional Model for Root Server System Governance
Other Comments

The Registries Stakeholder Group welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Functional model for Root Server Governance and appreciates the work of the Root Server System (RSS) Governance Working Group.

The RySG is generally supportive of the proposed Root Server Governance Structure.  We view this as an important step in the evolution of the Root Server System towards a governance structure that is transparent and accountable to the broader community.  The RySG offers the following comments:

Introduce limits on the number of representatives to Council from each organization.

This is a practice utilised by the GNSO, as prescribed by the Art. 11.3 (e) of the ICANN Bylaws, to avoid capture or the perception of capture of its Council. Given the overlap of gTLD, and ccTLD operators, it may make sense for the Root Server System Council to have similar rules in place. This should be implemented at the start of the Initiation Phase.  

Funding.

The Initial Phase should include a milestone to establish some preliminary financial oversight policies and transparency requirements for financial activities. These preliminary policies can then be refined in the Establishment Phase as a separate milestone.  We encourage ICANN and the community to proactively identify sustainable sources of funding.  Identifying stable funding and implementing policies to ensure oversight and transparency will help instill community confidence.

Relationship with ICANN and Community.

The RySG supports Milestone 11 of the Establishment Phase, to define and memorialize the relationships between the Governance System, RSSAC and ICANN, to the extent such relationships will exist. The RySG recalls the model described in RSSAC037 and would appreciate a discussion of how the model under development aligns or not with that proposal. The RySG would suggest moving Milestone 11 from the Establishment Phase to the Initial Phase.

Summary of Submission

The Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG) is generally supportive of the proposed Root Server Governance Structure and offers additional comments regarding the number of representatives an organization may have on the Council, the funding model, and the relationship with ICANN and the wider community.