Getting to Know the ICANN Board of Directors
What is the ICANN Board and what does it do?
The ICANN Board is selected by the ICANN community. The Board provides the ICANN organization's strategic oversight, ensuring that it acts within its mission and operates effectively, efficiently, and ethically. The Board also oversees and considers community-developed policy recommendations.
How does the ICANN Board operate?
In accordance with the Bylaws, the ICANN Board approves community policies and directs the ICANN organization to implement them. Board members act in what they believe to be the best interests of the global community. The Board acts by resolution, with information about decisions provided openly and transparently.
Who makes up the ICANN Board?
Board members are selected from across the community in a bottom-up approach by their peers. The Board is composed of 16 directors and 4 non-voting liaisons, from different geographies and with expertise relevant to ICANN's mission.
A visual depiction of the Board, displaying the 16 voting members along with four non-voting liaisons.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION (SO) APPOINTEES:
Each of the three SOs nominates two directors:
- Address Supporting Organization (ASO)
- Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
- Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AC) APPOINTEES:
The ALAC nominates one director, and each of the other ACs nominate one non-voting liaison.
- At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)
- Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
- Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC)
- Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC)
ICANN PRESIDENT AND CEO
NOMINATING COMMITTEE (NomCom) APPOINTEES:
The NomCom appoints eight seats.
INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE (IETF) APPOINTEE:
The IETF nominates one non-voting liaison.
GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY:
No more than five voting members can be from any one region. No two voting members from any SO may be from the same region. The Nominating Committee (NomCom) must ensure the Board has at least one voting member from each region.
VOTING:
All Members participate in Board meetings, discussions, and deliberations, but the four non-voting liaisons cannot participate in formal votes.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
The Nominating Committee (NomCom) is responsible for appointing a number of seats to the ICANN Board, the ALAC, and the Councils of the ccNSO and the GNSO.
TERMS:
Voting members serve staggered three-year terms and cannot serve more than three consecutive terms.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
Directors and liaisons annually disclose all business and affiliations that relate in any way to ICANN.
Learn more about the current ICANN Board members at: https://www.icann.org/en/board/directors
Learn more about the ICANN Board Bylaw at: http://go.icann.org/boardbylaw
