ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the organisation responsible for operating the Domain Name System (DNS), which is essentially the equivalent of the Internet’s phone book – holding the registry of all Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain names. It is governed by an international, multi-stakeholder community. ICANN holds three meetings each year, rotating among the different regions. For more information, see the following resources:

• Apply for the ICANN Fellowship program if you’d like to be introduced to ICANN and want to take part in its work

• ICANNWiki – A non-profit organisation dedicated to providing a community-developed wiki on ICANN and Internet governance

• Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) list of stakeholder groups and constituencies

• GNSO document archive

• GNSO Projects List – a compilation of all active and/or open projects within the GNSO

• Join a group or constituency, such as the Non-Commercial Stakeholders’ Group (NCSG)

• Join a working group – e.g., the Middle East and Adjoining Countries Strategy Working Group (MEAC-SWG)

• Learn about how to write ICANN policy via the Noncommercial User’s Constituency’s (NCUC) Policy Writing Course

• Participate in meetings remotely

• Read the ICANN beginners guide

• Submit a public comment

• Visit ICANN Learn and take a free course