Dear All:

The last ccNSO meeting #225 took place on Thursday 22^nd. January 2026 at 12:00 UTC

The ccNSO has launched a new website, much easier to navigate and find information, please check it:

ccNSO Council Meeting #225

Key Discussions and Decisions

1. Participation of the ccNSO in the GNSO PDP on DNS Abuse

The Council held an extensive discussion on whether and how the ccNSO should participate in the GNSO PDP on Associated Domain Name Checks related to DNS Abuse.

The Council agreed that the benefits of participation outweigh the potential risks, particularly in terms of sharing ccTLD expertise, supporting the multistakeholder model, and contributing to DNS abuse mitigation across the ecosystem.
It was acknowledged that the ccNSO does not hold an official position on the matters addressed by the PDP, nor do ccTLDs constitute a homogeneous group.
The Council approved participation with two members and one alternate, noting the importance of transparency, clear mandates, and regular feedback to the Council and the broader ccNSO community.
The DNS Abuse Standing Committee (DASC) was tasked with identifying suitable candidates, taking into account expertise, time commitment, and the PDP charter requirements.
The resolution was unanimously adopted, with a nomination deadline of 30th. January 2026, and notification to the GNSO Secretariat by 9th. February 2026.

2. Minutes and Action Items

The minutes of Council Meeting #224 were approved without comments.
Most action items from the previous meeting were confirmed as completed. Outstanding items relate primarily to the African Region special election process and guideline reviews.

3. Updates

Written updates from Committees, Working Groups, and Liaisons were acknowledged and published on the meeting workspace.

Additional highlights included:

DASC (DNS Abuse Standing Committee)

DASC members have been invited to participate in an NCUC-organized webinar on DNS abuse mitigation and its impact on civil society and end users, scheduled for 11th. February at 15:00 UTC; an invitation to the At-Large community will follow. In line with the Council decision to participate in the GNSO PDP on DNS Abuse, DASC, together with the Council, will support the evaluation of candidates for member, participant, and alternate roles. The Committee is also discussing a request from WIPO for observer status and will consult the full DASC membership via a survey outlining arguments for and against a time-limited observership. In preparation for ICANN85, a joint ccNSO–RySG session is planned, focusing on ongoing PDPs and their potential spill-over effects on ccTLDs. The next DASC survey is planned for July–August 2026.

IGLC (Internet Governance Liaison Committee)

The IGLC meeting focused on recent Internet governance developments and priorities for the 2026 workplan. Updates covered WSIS+20, and early preparations for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference that will take place this year in Qatar, highlighting revised resolutions on access, IPv6, multilingualism, and the recognition of the technical community. Members noted the growing prominence of regulatory and online safety issues and their potential relevance for ccTLDs.

The Committee reviewed past work and initial input for 2026 planning. Despite limited survey engagement, members agreed that key topics remain the same, with the future of Internet governance, sovereignty, resilience, and online harms emerging as priority areas, subject to impact-effort assessment and coordination with related ccNSO work

An update from the OMC on onboarding and mentoring initiatives, including plans to reinvigorate the mentoring programme and organize newcomer engagement activities at ICANN85.

Progress updates on ccPDP4-IDN (Board consideration ongoing) and ccPDP3-RM implementation, with further discussion anticipated with ICANN staff.

If you would like to see updates on the rest of the working groups and committees, please click here

4. Councillor 360 Review

The Council approved the timeline for the next round of Councillor 360 reviews:

Survey launch: 23 January 2026
Survey closure: 13 February 2026
Results shared: 19 February 2026

Bart Boswinkel was appointed as Survey Process Manager.

5. IGLC Review

The Council adopted the Terms of Reference for the effectiveness and efficiency review of the IGLC and requested the Secretariat to seek volunteers to ensure the review can commence in February 2026.

6. Appointments

Jennifer Lopez was appointed as Fellowship Program Mentor.
Pablo Rodriguez was appointed as Member of the Fellowship Selection Committee.
No additional applications for committee or working group appointments were received since the previous meeting.

7. African Region Special Election

The Council adopted the Selection Report for the African Region and formally confirmed the election of Grace Ingabire, with the term commencing at the conclusion of ICANN85 in Mumbai.

8. Planning for ICANN85

A draft ccNSO schedule was reviewed.
The Council agreed to continue providing interpretation services during Tech Day, emphasizing the importance of inclusiveness and effective participation across regions and languages.

This is all for now, if you need any additional information or you have any questions, I will be happy to answer.

Thank you.

Kindest Regards,

Laura Margolis

ALAC Liaison to ccNSO

margolisl@gmail.com

+59899690992

Teams: lauri.margolis

ccNSO Liaison Workspace