New gTLD Applicant Group (NTAG)

This session provides NTAG members, and New gTLD Applicants wishing to become an NTAG member, the opportunity to openly discuss the current status of the New gTLD Program, review current NTAG activities and address any outstanding New gTLD issues among themselves and with ICANN staff.

The NTAG is an Interest Group of the Registries Stakeholder Group, and therefore a recognized entity within the GNSO. The primary role of the NTAG is to represent the interests of all entities that applied for a New gTLD(s) in ICANN's 2012 New gTLD round. The NTAG represents the views of its diverse members to the ICANN Community as a whole, the ICANN Board of Directors, the GAC, the GNSO Council, and other SO's, AC's and influential bodies.

The NTAG is open to all new gTLD applicants and is currently comprised of 109 members (voting and non-voting), representing approximately 1,000 applications. NTAG members include applicants for IDN, Geographic, Brand, Community, and other applicants. The guiding principles for the NTAG are inclusiveness, fairness, openness, and transparency in all NTAG policies, practices, and operations. With these guiding principles in mind, the NTAG provides outreach to all new gTLD applicants to educate them on the NTAG's existence and to encourage equal participation from all members -- an essential function of the Group.