closed Functional Model for Root Server System Governance

Outcome

The Root Server System (RSS) Governance Working Group (GWG) appreciates the Public Comment submissions on its draft functional model for RSS governance. The GWG will determine how to address the feedback as it develops a final draft. Some feedback will be incorporated into the final draft, and other feedback will be cited as implementation guidance for the RSS Governance Structure (GS) to consider. The GWG looks forward to presenting its final draft to the RSS stakeholders, including the ICANN community, ICANN Board, Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC), Root Server Operators (RSOs), and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

What We Received Input On

This proceeding presents the Functional Model developed by the Root Server System (RSS) Governance Working Group (GWG) in response to Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) advice. The document describes the RSS Governance Structure and provides recommendations on how to implement it. The document also introduces the governance principles that will ensure consistency in execution and decision-making.

Background

The GWG

The ICANN Board convened the GWG, which brings together participants from stakeholder communities with a special interest in the RSS:

• Representatives of each root server operator (RSO)
• Individuals nominated by the generic top-level domains registry community, country code top-level domains registry community, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee
• Liaisons from the ICANN Board, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, and the Root Zone Maintainer

The GWG works openly and transparently. All teleconferences, work sessions during ICANN Public Meetings, and workshops permitted observers. Archives of its mailing list and records of its proceedings are publicly available. 

RSSAC Advice

RSSAC published a proposed governance model for the RSS and the root server operators (RSOs) in “RSSAC037: A Proposed Governance Model for the DNS Root Server System” (RSSAC037). RSSAC037 outlined guiding principles for the RSS and proposed five functions to provide governance, accountability, and transparency for the RSS. RSSAC concurrently published “RSSAC038: RSSAC Advisory on a Proposed Governance Model for the DNS Root Server System” (RSSAC038). In RSSAC038, RSSAC made three recommendations for next steps to the ICANN Board.

The ICANN Board—through its Board Technical Committee—oversaw the development of a “Concept Paper on a Community-Driven Process to Develop a Final Model Based on RSSAC037” (Concept Paper) as part of ICANN Board consideration of RSSAC037 and RSSAC038. The Concept Paper outlined an ICANN community-driven process to develop a governance model for the RSS. The Concept Paper was in response to recommendation one from RSSAC038, which called on the ICANN Board to “initiate a process to produce a final version of the model for implementation based on RSSAC037”. That process is the work of the GWG.

Supporting Information