NCUC provides resources that make Internet governance accessible and understandable.

These include:

  • Learning through ICANN Learn
  • Fellowship opportunities
  • Mentorship support

This ecosystem ensures that members at all levels can build knowledge and contribute effectively

Newcomer Starter Pack

What is ICANN?

ICANN stands for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is a global, nonprofit organization responsible for coordinating key elements of the Internet's infrastructure to ensure that the Internet remains stable, secure, and interoperable.

What is NCSG?

The Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) is a stakeholder group within the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It represents the interests of non-commercial Internet users and organizations in ICANN's policy development process.

How ICANN policy development works

ICANN develops policies using a multistakeholder model, where governments, businesses, technical experts, civil society, and Internet users work together to create consensus-based policies for the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). This open and transparent approach ensures that no single group controls Internet policy decisions.

What is NCUC?

The Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) is a constituency within the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It represents the interests of civil society organizations, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and individual non-commercial Internet users in the development of Internet policies.

What is GNSO?

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is one of the policy development bodies within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It is responsible for developing and recommending policies related to generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as .com, .org, .net, .info, and hundreds of newer domain extensions.

How to join meetings and mailing lists

Mailing lists are the primary channel for policy discussions, announcements, and decision-making in NCUC. NCUC conducts two types of meetings: regular virtual calls and hybrid sessions during ICANN Public Meetings.

Learning Materials

icann staff students workshop

What is ICANN Learn?

ICANN Learn is ICANN’s official, free online learning platform designed to help community members, newcomers, and stakeholders understand Internet governance, domain name policy, and technical operations.

It provides self-paced, interactive modules that make ICANN’s complex multistakeholder ecosystem accessible to everyone—requiring only a free ICANN Account to sign up and start learning.

Recommended Courses for Newcomers

If you are new to ICANN and NCUC, these foundational courses provide the best starting point:

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The ICANN Fellowship Programme is ICANN’s flagship capacity-building initiative designed to bring diverse voices—especially from underserved and underrepresented communities—into global Internet governance.

It provides financial support, structured learning, and direct access to ICANN Public Meetings, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world policy development.

What the Fellowship Provides

  • Fully Funded Travel Support: Includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodation, visa assistance, and a stipend to remove financial barriers to attending ICANN Public Meetings.

    Read More
icann fellowship

Mentorship Program

mentorship 1

Experienced members play a critical role in helping newcomers overcome ICANN’s steep learning curve. Within NCUC and the broader ICANN community, experienced members guide newcomers through both structured mentorship programs and informal community support.

1. Demystifying Complex Policy Issues

  • Translating Jargon: ICANN policies are filled with acronyms, technical terms, and procedural rules. Veterans help newcomers decipher key topics like WHOIS/RDAP privacy, DNS abuse, or gTLD expansions.

  • Contextualizing History: Experienced members provide background on why certain policy discussions exist and how consensus was reached in previous years, helping newcomers avoid repeating past debates.

    Read More

Key Documents

Recommended document categories for all newcomers and members.

Onboarding guides
Meeting reports
Public comments
Policy statements
NCUC governance documents

ICANN Ecosystem

NCUC

Policy Resources

Community

Contact Info

Phone

+2 237 467 134-98

Email

info@ncuc.isoc.gh

Address

Accra, Ghana

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