This is the workspace for the Root Server System Governance Working Group (RSS GWG). 

Administration

RSS GWG Mailing List 

• Archive: August 2024 to present

• Archive: February 2020 to July 2024

Stakeholder Input

• Registries Stakeholder Group (18 January 2024)

• United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration (14 October 2025) 

• ICANN (20 October 2025)

Public Comment Proceeding (August to October 2025)

• Proceeding

• Submissions

• Summary Report of Submissions

Reference Materials

Source Documents (adopted by the RSS GWG )

• RSSAC037: A Proposed Governance Model for the DNS Root Server System

• RSSAC038: RSSAC Advisory on a Proposed Governance Model for the DNS Root Server System

• Concept Paper on a Community-Driven Process to Develop a Final Model Based on RSSAC037

• RSSAC042: RSSAC Statement on Root Server Operator Independence

• SAC106: SSAC Comments on Evolving the Governance of the Root Server System

• RSSAC058: Success Criteria for the RSS Governance Structure 

RSS GWG Presentations

• Joint Meeting of the RSS GWG, ICANN Board, and RSSAC (October 2020)

RSS GWG Reports

• June 2020

• August 2020

• October 2020

• January 2021

• March 2021

• August 2021

• November 2022

Public Comment Proceeding (May to August 2019)

• Proceeding

• Submissions

• Summary Report of Submissions

Several other RSSAC publications provide background information about the RSSAC, Root Server System, Root Server Operators, and global root service as context for the work of evolving the governance of the Root Server System.

• RSSAC055: Principles Guiding the Operation of the Public Root Server System

• RSSAC050: RSSAC Statement on Identification of Root Server Operators

• RSSAC049: RSSAC Statement on Joining the Empowered Community

• RSSAC047: RSSAC Advisory on Metrics for the DNS Root Servers and the Root Server System

• RSSAC030: RSSAC Statement on Entries in DNS Root Sources

• RSSAC026v2: RSSAC Lexicon

• RSSAC024: Key Technical Elements of Potential Root Operators

• RSSAC023: History of the Root Server System

• RSSAC021: RSSAC Statement Concerning the Impact of the Unavailability of a Single Root Server

• RSSAC020: RSSAC Statement on Client Side Reliability of Root DNS Data

• RSSAC002v4: Advisory on Measurements of the Root Server System

• RSSAC001: Advisory on Service Expectations of Root Servers

Additionally, the RSSAC published reports from the six workshops that led to the development of RSSAC037 and RSSAC038.

• RSSAC034: Report from the RSSAC May 2018 Workshop

• RSSAC029: Report from the RSSAC October 2017 Workshop

• RSSAC027: Report from the RSSAC May 2017 Workshop

• RSSAC025: Report from the RSSAC October 2016 Workshop

• RSSAC019: Report from the RSSAC May 2016 Workshop

• RSSAC016: Report from the RSSAC September 2015 Workshop