Please note that the documents linked below related to the PDP are provided for informational purposes. Some documents are produced by the GNSO and others are not. To learn about the materials on the Active Project pages, please see this overview.
Background
Issues related to whether certain international organizations such as International Governmental Organizations (IGOs), the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (RCRC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should receive special protection for their names at the top-level and second-level in new gTLDs have been raised throughout the development of the New gTLD program. All these organizations perform important public interest or humanitarian work. They have reported that cybersquatting and related abuse of domain names (e.g., domain names that are identical or confusingly similar to the organizations' names and acronyms) could significantly impact their missions and resources.
To explore the issue in detail, the ICANN Board requested policy advice from the GNSO Council and the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) on whether special protections should be afforded to the RCRC, IOC and/or IGOs. Prior to the PDP documented on this page, the GNSO Council formed a Drafting Team to review the issues of protection for RCRC and the IOC. Based on the recommendations of their Final Report and the Final Issue Report prepared by ICANN staff, the GNSO Council launched this PDP in October 2012.
Along with IGOs, the PDP scope included all INGOs (in addition to the RCRC and IOC). The aim was to consider what the appropriate form and scope of protections would be at both the top-level and second-level of the Domain Name System (DNS) for IGOs and INGOs. The PDP completed its work in November 2013, and the GNSO Council approved all the PDP consensus recommendations.
In April 2014, the ICANN Board adopted those PDP recommendations that were "not inconsistent" with GAC advice received on the topic, and requested more time to consider the remaining inconsistent recommendations. The adopted recommendations relate to full names and not acronyms; viz. protection at the top- and second-level for specific identifiers associated with the RCRC and IOC, and IGO full names (with an Exception Procedure to be designed for the affected organizations), and a 90-day Claims Notification process at the second level for certain INGO full names. These recommendations were subsequently implemented with a Policy Effective date of 1 August 2018.
A facilitated dialogue took place between representatives of the GAC and the GNSO at ICANN58 in an attempt to reconcile the remaining inconsistencies between GAC advice and the GNSO PDP recommendations. Those inconsistencies concerned IGO and specific RCRC acronyms as well as the names of all the National Societies of the Red Cross movement.
Following that facilitated discussion, the ICANN Board requested that the GNSO Council consider initiating the GNSO policy amendment process in accordance with the GNSO's procedures. In May 2017, the GNSO Council launched the policy amendment process for the Red Cross National Society names and reconvened the original PDP working group.
The working group developed a finite, limited list of specific names of 191 Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies as well as a limited, defined set of variants for these names. The Working Group arrived at a set of final recommendations, and its consensus recommendations were approved unanimously by the GNSO Council on 27 September 2018. On 27 January 2019, the Board adopted the final recommendations and directed ICANN org to implement the recommendations.
The issue of protection for IGO and a few specific RCRC acronyms remains unresolved. The ICANN Board continues to discuss the 2013 PDP recommendations and GAC advice.
Learn more about the implementation effort here; see the latest update of current IRT work in the GNSO Policy Briefing here.
Status:
Web Presence:
Responsible Staff Members:
- Berry Cobb
- Mary Wong
Working Group Members & Leadership and GNSO Liaison
- See wiki membership page
For the latest information and status on this project:
- See project list
The IGO letter to the Board:
Submitted on: 13 December 2011
The ICANN Board's letter to the GNSO and GAC on the IGO issue:
Submitted on: 11 March 2012
The GNSO Council response to the Board's letter on the IGO issue:
Submitted on: 26 March 2012
GNSO Resolution on the Creation of an Issue Report:
Adopted on: 12 April 2012
Summary: The GNSO Council requests an issue report to precede the possibility of a PDP that covers the following issues: …..… [see link for details]
Preliminary Issue Report:
Submitted on: 04 June 2012
Final Issue Report:
Adopted on: 1 October 2012
GNSO Resolution on the Initiation of the PDP:
Adopted on: 17 October 2012
Summary: Resolved, the GNSO hereby initiates a PDP to evaluate (ii) whether there is a need for special protections at the top and second level in all gTLDs for the names of the following types of international organizations:
International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) receiving protections under treaties and statutes under multiple jurisdictions, and specifically including the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (RCRC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and (ii) if so, to develop policy recommendations for such protections. [see link for details].
Working Group Charter:
Adopted on: 15 November 2012
Input from Supporting Organizations/Advisory Committees and GNSO Stakeholder Groups/Constituencies:
Working Group Initial Report:
Submitted on: 14 June 2013
Working Group Proposed Final Report:
Submitted on: 20 September 2013
Working Group Final Report:
Submitted on: 10 November 2013
- IGO-INGO Final Report
- Translated Final Report
GNSO Adoption of the Final Report:
Adopted on: 20 November 2013
Summary: The GNSO Council adopts in full the following Consensus recommendations made by the Working Group (including the definitions of Scope 1 and Scope 2 identifiers for all the various types of organizations considered) and recommends their adoption by the ICANN Board: …..… [see link for details]
Public Comment Prior to ICANN Board Consideration:
Submitted on: 27 November 2013
Notification by the ICANN Board to the GAC to Request Input on Whether Policy Recommendations Raise Public Policy Issues:
Submitted on: 11 December 2013
GNSO Council Report to ICANN Board (Consent Agenda):
Submitted on: 23 January 2014
Board Paper:
Submitted on: 7 February 2014
ICANN Board Consideration of IGO-INGO Protections Resolution:
Adopted on: 07 February 2014
Summary: Resolved (2014.02.07.06), the Board directs the ICANN Board New gTLD Program Committee to: (1) consider the policy recommendations from the GNSO as it continues to actively develop an approach to respond to the GAC advice on protections for IGOs; and (2) develop a comprehensive proposal to address the GAC advice and the GNSO policy recommendations for consideration by the Board at a subsequent meeting.… [see link for details]
ICANN Board Resolution of IGO-INGO Identifier Protections:
Adopted on: 30 April 2014
Resolved (2014.04.30.03), the Board hereby adopts the GNSO Council's unanimous recommendations on the Protection of IGO-INGO Identifiers in All gTLDs set forth in Annex A [PDF, 74 KB] attached hereto (which includes the GNSO recommendations that are not inconsistent with the GAC's advice).
Resolved (2014.04.30.04), the Board requests additional time to consider …..… [see resolution link for details]
Notice of Policy Actions and Implementation Direction:
Adopted on: 30 April 2014
Process for Amending Policy Recommendations:
- NGPC letter to GNSO Council (16 June 2014)
- Staff Briefing Note on Process for Amending GNSO Policy Recommendations (9 July 2014)
- Cover Letter to Position Paper: ICRC-IFRC Protection of Red Cross/Red Crescent Designations in the Domain Name System
- Position Paper: ICRC-IFRC Protection of Red Cross/Red Crescent Designations in the Domain Name System
- Briefing Paper: Reconciling GAC Advice & GNSO policy recommendations concerning protections for certain Red Cross names and acronyms at the second level in the domain name system
- Briefing Paper: Reconciling GAC public policy advice & GNSO policy recommendations concerning protections for International Governmental Organization acronyms at the second level in the domain name system
Reconvened Working Group Initial Report:
Submitted on: 21 June 2018
- Initial Report on the Protections for Certain Red Cross Names in all gTLDs – Policy Amendment Process
- Draft – Finite list of certain Red Cross Names
- Public Comment
- Public Comment Review Tool
Reconvened Working Group Final Report:
Submitted on: 6 August 2018
GNSO Adoption of the Final Report:
Adopted on: 27 September 2018
Summary: Resolved: The GNSO Council has reviewed the Final Report and approves all of the consensus recommendations made by the Reconvened PDP Working Group;
ICANN Board Resolution Adoption of GNSO Consensus Policy relating to Certain Red Cross & Red Crescent Names at the Second Level of the Domain Name System:
Adopted on: 27 January 2019
Summary: Resolved (2019.01.27.19), the Board hereby adopts the final recommendations of the reconvened International Governmental Organizations (IGO) & International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) PDP Working Group, as passed by a unanimous vote of the GNSO Council on 27 September 2018.