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To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate these unique identifiers, across the world. Without that coordination, we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN, formed in 1998, is a not-for-profit global organization dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and devleops policy on the Internet's unique identifiers. Read More
The ICANN Supporting Organizations (SOs) serve as the advisory bodies for the ICANN Board of Directors, with the primary responsibility of developing and recommending substantive policies regarding those matters falling within their specific area of interest.The SOs are three specialized advisory bodies that have the purpose of advising the ICANN Board of Directors on issues related to domain names and IP addresses. In addition to these SOs, ICANN also relies on advice from advisory committees regarding the interests of their stakeholders who are not part of any of the SOs.
The Address Supporting Organization (ASO) is one of the supporting organizations that was formed, according to ICANN's bylaws, through community consensus in 1999. The main objective of the ASO is to review and develop Internet Protocol recommendations, address policy, and advise the ICANN Board. Its members are appointed by the world's 5 Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), which manage and allocate IP addresses in their respective continental regions. For more info on ASOs see this link, https://icannwiki.com/Address_Supporting_Organization
The Generic Names Supporting Organization develops policies for gTLDs. It attempts to operate in a fair, orderly manner through the global Internet while still promoting innovation and competition. The GNSO deals with issues related to the registration of a domain name, the services which must be provided by a registrar, and even cases related to the renewal of a domain name.
The Country Code Names Supporting Organization is a body created specifically for ccTLD managers. It was created in 2003 and is a forum for ccTLD managers to meet and discuss various topics of interest, while encouraging technical cooperation between ccTLD managers.
The Address Supporting Organization advises the ICANN Board with respect to policy concerning IP addresses
About the At-Large Community
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