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'''ICANN''' is an acronym for the '''Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers''', a global multi-stakeholder organization that was created an 1998 nd empowered through actions by the U.S. government and its [[DOC|Department of Commerce]].<ref name="icann-mou">[http://www.icann.org/en/general/icann-mou-25nov98.htm ICANN DOC MoU Memorandum of Understanding, Depart. of Commerce and ICANN]. ICANN. Published 1999 December 31.</ref> ICANN is the main Internet governance institution. Itss ke responsibility is to manage the core Internet infrastructure, which consists of IP addresses, domain names, and root servers.It coordinates the Internet [[DNS]], [[IP]] addresses and [[ASN|autonomous system numbers]], which involves a continued management of these evolving systems and the protocols that underly them.

'''ICANN''' is an acronym for the '''Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers''', a global multi-stakeholder organization that was created an 1998 and empowered through actions by the U.S. government and its [[DOC|Department of Commerce]].<ref name="icann-mou">[http://www.icann.org/en/general/icann-mou-25nov98.htm ICANN DOC MoU Memorandum of Understanding, Depart. of Commerce and ICANN]. ICANN. Published 1999 December 31.</ref> ICANN is the main Internet governance institution. Its primary responsibility is to manage the Internet's core infrastructure, which consists of IP addresses, domain names, and root servers. It coordinates the Internet's [[DNS]], [[IP]] addresses and [[ASN|autonomous system numbers]], which involves a continued management of these evolving systems and the protocols that underly them.

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While ICANN has its roots in the U.S. government, it is now, and continues to strive to be, an international, community-driven organization.(also known as ICANN globalisation).heir management of an inter-operable Internet covers 180 million domain names, the allocation of more than 4 billion network addresses, and the support of approximately a trillion [[DNS]] look-ups everyday across 240 countries.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/about/planning/strategic/strategic-plan-2010-2013-19feb10-en.pdf ICANN Strategic Plan June 2010 June 2013]. ICANN.</ref>

While ICANN has its roots in the U.S. government, it is now, and continues to strive to be, an international, community-driven organization (also known as ICANN globalisation). Their management of an interoperable Internet covers 180 million domain names, the allocation of more than 4 billion network addresses, and the support of approximately a trillion [[DNS]] look-ups everyday across 240 countries.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/about/planning/strategic/strategic-plan-2010-2013-19feb10-en.pdf ICANN Strategic Plan June 2010 June 2013]. ICANN.</ref>

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==Organization & Structure== <!--T:102-->

==Organization & Structure== <!--T:102-->

It is central to ICANN's mission that the organization itself is structured in a way that welcomes a variety of voices and seeks to represent the extremely diverse constituencies with continued interest in the Internet's development, from [[Registry|registries]], to [[:Category:Companies|corporations]], to individual Internet users. In relation to ICANN's structural development, there have been critics who have taken issue with its closed-door sessions, the role of the [[DOC| U.S. Department of Commerce]], and other structural and procedural rules.<ref>[http://sunburn.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/the-domain-name-system/icannorg.html ICANN Organizational Structure]. Stanford University.</ref> ICANN has been described as being in a contentious oversight situation; with some countries calling for all U.S. influence to be removed from the organization by subordinating it to the U.N.'s jurisdiction, or suggesting similar solutions.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022803719.html?hpid=topnews Obama administration joins critics of U.S. nonprofit group that oversees Internet]. The Washington Post. Published 2011 March 1.</ref> ICANN's structure and process is outlined in the [[ICANN Bylaws]].

It is central to ICANN's mission that the organization itself is structured in a way that welcomes a variety of voices and seeks to represent the extremely diverse constituencies with continued interest in the Internet's development, from [[Registry|registries]], to [[:Category:Companies|corporations]], to individual Internet users. In relation to ICANN's structural development, there have been critics who have taken issue with its closed-door sessions, the role of the [[DOC| U.S. Department of Commerce]], and other structural and procedural rules.<ref>[http://sunburn.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/the-domain-name-system/icannorg.html ICANN Organizational Structure]. Stanford University.</ref> ICANN has been described as being in a contentious oversight situation, with some countries calling for all U.S. influence to be removed from the organization by subordinating it to the U.N.'s jurisdiction, or suggesting similar solutions.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022803719.html?hpid=topnews Obama administration joins critics of U.S. nonprofit group that oversees Internet]. The Washington Post. Published 2011 March 1.</ref> ICANN's structure and process is outlined in the [[ICANN Bylaws]].

===Board of Directors=== <!--T:103-->

===Board of Directors=== <!--T:103-->

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The [[Generic Names Supporting Organization]] (GNSO) brings together smaller stakeholder groups, which in turn bring together constituencies and other groups, together into one [[SO|Supporting Organization]] to develop policies, form consensus, and make recommendations related to [[gTLD]]s to the [[ICANN Board]].<ref>[http://gnso.icann.org/ Generic Names Supporting Organization]. ICANN.</ref>

The [[Generic Names Supporting Organization]] (GNSO) brings together smaller stakeholder groups, which in turn bring together constituencies and other groups, together into one [[SO|Supporting Organization]] to develop policies, form consensus, and make recommendations related to [[gTLD]]s to the [[ICANN Board]].<ref>[http://gnso.icann.org/ Generic Names Supporting Organization]. ICANN.</ref>

===ccNSO=== <!--T:108-->

===ccNSO=== <!--T:108-->

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The [[Country Code Names Supporting Organization]] (ccNSO) is an advisory body within ICANN created by and for [[ccTLD]] managers, which are the entities that oversee a given nation's own Country Code Top Level Domain. The ccNSO is a consortium of working groups and the ccNSO Council, and it works in conjunction with other supporting organizations and bodies within ICANN. It was founded in 2003. It is a forum for global discussions and debates regarding issues related to ccTLDs.<ref>[http://ccnso.icann.org/about About]. Country Code Names Supporting Organisation.</ref>

The [[Country Code Names Supporting Organization]] (ccNSO) is an advisory body within ICANN created by and for [[ccTLD]] managers, which are the entities that oversee a given nation's own Country Code Top Level Domain. The ccNSO is a consortium of working groups and the ccNSO Council, and it works in conjunction with other supporting organizations and bodies within ICANN. It was founded in 2003. It is a forum for global discussions and debates regarding issues related to ccTLDs.<ref>[http://ccnso.icann.org/about About]. Country Code Names Supporting Organisation.</ref>

===ASO=== <!--T:110-->

===ASO=== <!--T:110-->

===Meetings===

===Meetings===

: ''Main article: [[ICANN Meetings]]''

: ''Main article: [[ICANN Meetings]]''

ICANN holds week-long meetings three times per year; one of these meetings serves as the organization's annual meeting, where new board directors take their appointed seats. These meetings are held in a different location each time, with each global region hosting a meeting before the regional cycle is started anew.<ref name="meetings"></ref> The next meeting will be the 55th meeting in Marakech, Morocco. <ref>[http://blog.icann.org/2011/02/middle-east-developments-interfere-with-icann-41-jordan-meeting/ Middle East Developments Cause Cancellation of ICANN Jordan Meeting]. ICANN Blog. Published 2011 February 18.</ref>  

ICANN holds week-long meetings three times per year; one of these meetings serves as the organization's annual General Meeting, where new board directors take their appointed seats. These meetings are held in a different location each time, with each global region hosting a meeting before the regional cycle is started anew.<ref name="meetings"></ref> The next meeting will be the 55th meeting in Marakech, Morocco.<ref>[http://blog.icann.org/2011/02/middle-east-developments-interfere-with-icann-41-jordan-meeting/ Middle East Developments Cause Cancellation of ICANN Jordan Meeting]. ICANN Blog. Published 2011 February 18.</ref>  

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