Sources for the following criteria and additional related documents can be found at the At-Large Board Member Candidate Reference Links & Resources - 2017.

ICANN Bylaws

ICANN Directors shall be:

  1. Accomplished persons of integrity, objectivity, and intelligence, with reputations for sound judgment and open minds, and a demonstrated capacity for thoughtful group decision-making;
  2. Persons with an understanding of ICANN's mission and the potential impact of ICANN decisions on the global Internet community, and committed to the success of ICANN;
  3. Persons who will produce the broadest cultural and geographic diversity on the Board consistent with meeting the other criteria set forth in this Section;
  4. Persons who, in the aggregate, have personal familiarity with the operation of gTLD registries and registrars; with ccTLD registries; with IP address registries; with Internet technical standards and protocols; with policy-development procedures, legal traditions, and the public interest; and with the broad range of business, individual, academic, and non-commercial users of the Internet; and
  5. Persons who are able to work and communicate in written and spoken English.

Additional Bylaw qualifications

  1. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no official of a national government or a multinational entity established by treaty or other agreement between national governments may serve as a Director. As used herein, the term "official" means a person (i) who holds an elective governmental office or (ii) who is employed by such government or multinational entity and whose primary function with such government or entity is to develop or influence governmental or public policies.
  2. No person who serves in any capacity (including as a liaison) on any Supporting Organization Council shall simultaneously serve as a Director or liaison to the Board. If such a person accepts a nomination to be considered for selection by the Supporting Organization Council or the At-Large Community to be a Director, the person shall not, following such nomination, participate in any discussion of, or vote by, the Supporting Organization Council or the committee designated by the At-Large Community relating to the selection of Directors by the Council or Community, until the Council or committee(s) designated by the At-Large Community has selected the full complement of Directors it is responsible for selecting. In the event that a person serving in any capacity on a Supporting Organization Council accepts a nomination to be considered for selection as a Director, the constituency group or other group or entity that selected the person may select a replacement for purposes of the Council's selection process. In the event that a person serving in any capacity on the At-Large Advisory Committee accepts a nomination to be considered for selection by the At-Large Community as a Director, the Regional At-Large Organization or other group or entity that selected the person may select a replacement for purposes of the Community's selection process.
  3. Persons serving in any capacity on the Nominating Committee shall be ineligible for selection to positions on the Board as provided by Article VII, Section 8.


ICANN Operating Principles

Directors (as well as Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee members) must follow the ICANN Code of Conduct and the Conflict of Interest Policies. 

Additional Qualifications used by the NomCom

  • a commitment to ICANN's mission.
  • demonstrated capacity for thoughtful group decision-making and sound judgment.
  • an understanding of the importance of good governance practices and an ability to contribute to the Board in this regard.

Time Commitment and Working Practice outlined in the NomCom procedures

  • The basic responsibilities of an ICANN Director require a minimum commitment of time which when averaged out over the year is roughly equivalent to 20-24 hours each week. This includes participation in three ICANN meetings/year, two Board retreats/year and work on Board Committees. The time spent in these basic responsibilities is typically clustered around Board meetings and monthly teleconferences, but there is a constant flow of information requiring attention on a near daily basis.
  • Directors are expected to attend three ICANN meetings per year and depending on the location and including travel time and preparation this could be a commitment of up to ten (10) days per meeting. In addition the board occasionally holds shorter face-to-face meetings such as retreats.
  • Directors spend additional time in connection with their work on Board Committees, a commitment that varies in relation to the number of Committees on which they serve, the scope of the Committee's responsibilities, and their role as Chair or Member of the Committee.

In many cases, the actual time expended significantly exceeds these guidelines.

ALAC-specific Guidelines

  • An understanding of ICANN At-Large.
  • An understanding of the potential impact of ICANN decisions on the global Internet-using community, and the Internet end-user community in particular.
  • A track record of working to build consensus with a diverse set of interests working together on complex policy issues.
  • A willingness to commit time and energy to engaging with the ALAC on topics of interest to either the Board or the ALAC.
  • An understanding of changes to ICANN's Bylaws, organisational structure, and accountability mechanisms that have been put in place as part of the transition of the stewardship of IANA functions.
  • No labels

For comments, suggestions, or technical support, please email: program-admin@atlarge.icann.org
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