Nominating Committee - Final Selections for Key Leadership [...]

After a thorough period of outreach, consultation, recruitment, and evaluation, the Nominating Committee (NomCom) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today its final selection of four 'slates' of Nominees for four of ICANN's leadership bodies: the Board of Directors, the Council of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO), the Council of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) and the Interim At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC). The Nominees will join the already seated members of these bodies on 4 December 2005 at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the ICANN in Vancouver, Canada.

ICANN is a not-for--profit organization responsible for coordinating the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers, including the systems of domain names and numeric addresses that are used to reach all computers on the Internet. ICANN's mission is to ensure the stable and secure operation of these unique identifier systems, which are vital to the Internet's operation. In addition, ICANN coordinates policy development related to these technical functions.

"We are pleased that excellent candidates from all five geographic regions participated in this third NomCom process," said Nominating Committee Chair and spokesperson George Sadowsky. "Such participation reflects the Internet community's considerable reserve of talent, experience, and willingness to undertake these volunteer leadership roles essential to ICANN's evolution and continued technical coordination on behalf of the entire global Internet user community."

The Nominees:

ICANN Board

Njeri Rionge (Kenya, Africa)

Susan Crawford (USA, North America)

Terms: Conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2005 until conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2008

ccNSO Council

Slobodan Markovic (Serbia and Montenegro, Europe)

Term: Conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2005 until conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2008

GNSO Council

Avri Doria (USA, North America)

Sophia Bekele (Ethiopia, Africa)

Term: Conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2005 until conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2007

Interim At Large Advisory Committee

Jacqueline Morris (Trinidad and Tobago, Latin America/Caribbean Islands)

Alice Wanjira (Kenya, Africa)

Siavash Shahshahani (Iran, Asia/Australia/Pacific)

Terms: Conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2005 until conclusion of ICANN Annual Meeting for 2007

In response to its Formal Call of 22 April 2005, the NomCom received 72 Statements of Interest and selected 8 outstanding individuals for staggered terms in these leadership roles in ICANN. The terms range from twenty-four to thirty-six months in length. Two individuals were selected to serve on the Board of Directors; three individuals were selected to fill seats designated for individuals from the Latin America, Asia Pacific and African regions on the Interim At-Large Advisory Committee (which coordinates participation by individual Internet users in ICANN's activities); one individual was selected for the Council of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (which administers and coordinates the affairs of the ccNSO and manages the policy development process of the ccNSO); and two individuals were selected for the Council of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (which develops policy concerning domain names in generic top-level domains such as .com, .net, .org, .info, and .biz).

The NomCom was asked to find high-caliber, experienced, open-minded men and women with integrity, sound judgment, and objectivity. "The committee focused on the careful selection of slates of candidates whose skills and perspectives complemented each other and who fulfilled the ICANN criteria and eligibility requirements for each of the four roles to be filled, keeping all the candidates under consideration until the final slates were chosen," Sadowsky explained.

Through these strategies the NomCom pursued its dual charge: to balance the ICANN leadership selection processes which are based on Supporting Organizations and Constituencies and to help ensure that ICANN can benefit from the leadership of the men and women of the highest integrity and capability who place the interest of the global Internet community ahead of any particular interests. These carefully selected slates will help ICANN ensure functional, cultural, and geographic diversity in its policy development and decision-making as the Internet itself evolves.

The Nominating Committee:

An independent Nominating Committee is a key element of the ICANN structure. It is composed of a diverse set of individuals chosen by the groups and entities that make up ICANN. The NomCom is charged to act in the interests of the global Internet community rather than in accord with specific interests. On a long term basis, the committee is presently responsible for selecting 8 of 15 Board Directors, 5 of 15 Interim ALAC Members, 3 of 18 ccNSO Council Members and 3 of 15 GNSO Council Members. In the current process, 8 of these positions needed to be filled.

For more information about the Nominating Committee, its members, the formal call for statements of interest and its procedures, please visit its web page at icann.org/en/groups/nomcom. Further questions or requests for information can be sent via e-mail to nomcom-coordinator@icann.org.

NomCom Selection Statistics:

Total Number of Candidates: 72

Citizenship of Candidates:

35 Countries: Argentina, Australia, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Congo, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Peoples Republic of China, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA.

Citizenship of Selected Nominees:

8 Countries:

Recommendations Received:

About ICANN

The mission of ICANN is to coordinate, at the overall level, the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers, and in particular to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier systems. In particular, ICANN:

1. Coordinates the allocation and assignment of the three sets of unique identifiers for the Internet, which are
   • Domain names (forming a system referred to as "DNS");
   • Internet protocol ("IP") addresses and autonomous system ("AS") numbers; and
   • Protocol port and parameter numbers.
2. Coordinates the operation and evolution of the DNS root name server system.
3. Coordinates policy development reasonably and appropriately related to these technical functions.