Call for one Volunteer: ccNSO participation in GNSO PDP on Associated Domain Check (DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP 1)
8 April 2026
The ccNSO Council has tasked the ccNSO DNS Abuse Standing Committee (DASC) with identifying one (1) additional volunteer to represent the ccNSO in the GNSO PDP on Associated
Domain Check (DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP 1).
The selected volunteer will join the ccNSO representatives already appointed to this effort:
The additional volunteer will serve as member, in addition to these previously appointed representatives. This request follows Nick Wenban-Smith’s appointment as Vice Chair
of the GNSO PDP1.
PDP1 Charter, section “Leadership Structure”, mentions the following: […]
if a Member is selected as the Vice Chair, his/her appointing organization may appoint a new Member as a replacement. […]
This call for volunteers will close on Friday, 17 April 2026 (noon UTC).
Rationale for ccNSO participation in the PDP
Following consultation with the DNS Abuse Standing Committee (DASC), the ccNSO Council held extensive discussions
during its 224th and 225th meetings on the benefits and drawbacks of ccNSO participation in the GNSO DNS Abuse Mitigation PDPs. On 22 January, the Council resolved to task the DASC with selecting up to two members, as well as up to one participant and one
alternate.
gTLD consensus policies do not apply to ccTLDs, and the ccNSO has traditionally not formally participated in GNSO
PDPs. However, participation in PDP 1 would enable the ccNSO to share ccTLD expertise in DNS abuse mitigation, support the multistakeholder model, and potentially contribute to reducing DNS abuse across the broader ecosystem. Participation was also seen as
an opportunity to inform the wider community about the differences between ccTLDs and gTLDs. Given that ccTLDs experience significantly lower levels of abuse, they can offer valuable insights into the practices and approaches that have contributed to these
outcomes.
Role and eligibility
This call for volunteers is open to all individuals affiliated with ccTLD managers—regardless of ccNSO membership—who
can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to actively contribute to the PDP work. Please note that volunteers for the position are expected to have an understanding of the GNSO Policy Development Process, Registry/Registrar model and substantial expertise in
abuse mitigation. WG members and participants shall review the full text of the Working Group Member Skills Guide to understand
the responsibilities and skills that they are expected to have in order to fully participate in the WG activities.
The ccNSO appointees are expected to represent ccNSO values in their work, regularly report to the ccNSO Council and
broader ccTLD community, follow specific direction from the ccNSO Council when provided, and seek the Council’s guidance whenever needed.
Members are expected to participate during the course of deliberations and in any WG consensus calls. Members are
expected to represent the view of their appointing organization, and may be called on to provide the official position of their appointing organization. Members are expected to have a level of expertise with respect to DNS Abuse issues, ICANN policies and
procedures, and registry/registrar services in order to contribute to the deliberations effectively.
Participants may be from a GNSO SG/C or SO/AC. Participants will be able to actively participate in and attend all
WG meetings. Participants are encouraged to engage in the WG deliberation throughout its lifecycle and are expected to keep up with all relevant WG deliberations to ensure they remain informed and can contribute when needed. However, Participants do not participate
in the consensus designation process. Participants are encouraged to possess similar levels of expertise as Members.
Alternates will only participate if a Member is not available. Alternates will be responsible for keeping up with
all relevant WG deliberations to ensure they remain informed and can contribute when needed.
All Members, Participants, and Alternates participating in the Working Group are expected to abide by the Statement
of Participation, which is enforceable by the WG Chair and GNSO Council Leadership Team. See Section V of the PDP1 Charter for
details.
Time Commitment
The appointment lasts for the duration of the DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP1, with the Council checking each year whether
the member wishes to continue. The Working Group met for the first time at ICANN85 in Mumbai, India. The Working Group is expected to hold two meetings per week, each with a 90-minute duration.
How to apply
If you are interested in joining PDP 1, please submit your application by Friday, 17 April 2026 (noon UTC). Please
read the instructions below carefully.
Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/xB6guatVkyAvVvFi8
You will be asked to provide your full name and contact details, your ccTLD affiliation, and a brief statement outlining
your qualifications and motivation for joining. If not employed by a ccTLD manager, proof of active support from one is required: Please send any additional materials to ccnsosecretariat@icann.org
Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/79Jw4wSnNhn5W4Z46
All ccNSO SOI declarations will be published on the ccNSO website.
Read
here the ccNSO SOI Guideline. Note: the GNSO might require an additional GNSO-specific SOI.
To facilitate your participation, we will require an ICANN
Account, which is the ccNSO’s and ICANN’s platform to manage participation. If you already have an ICANN Account (e.g. for registering at ICANN meetings), please login to
your ICANN Account using the email address that you use for your ccNSO work and verify that your profile is up to date. If you do not have an ICANN Account, please create an ICANN Account at
your earliest convenience.
Next Steps
After closure of the call for volunteers, the ccNSO DASC leadership team shall evaluate all applications and select
its preferred candidates for the specified roles. DASC will inform Council about its selection, and the ccNSO Chair shall notify the GNSO Chair about the outcomes of the selection.
About the GNSO DNS Abuse Mitigation PDPs
In December 2025, the GNSO Council initiated
two PDPs on DNS Abuse (Associated Domain Check and API Access). The two PDPs will be conducted subsequently. Associated Domain Check is PDP1. The Charter
for PDP1 was adopted mid-January by the GNSO Council.
Associated Domain Checks refer to a framework requiring registrars to proactively pivot to investigate domains linked
to malicious actors, particularly in cases of high-volume domain registrations used for DNS Abuse campaigns.
Other resources