.nz governance
At the Domain Name Commission, we supervise the .nz domain namespace. Learn about .nz governance work and how it supports international and New Zealand law.
How domain country codes are administered in New Zealand and internationally
The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit organisation set up in 1998 and based in the United States. ICANN provides technical coordination of the internet and is responsible for DNS coordination at a global level.
ICANN delegates DNS administration within countries to separate entities.
For New Zealand, InternetNZ is responsible for DNS administration for the .nz country code. InternetNZ is a trustee for the delegated .nz domain. They have a duty to serve the residents of New Zealand as well as the global internet community.
To learn more about country delegations and country code administration, read this resource provided by ICANN:
Administering the Root: Delegations and Redelegations – Every country is unique (PDF, 241 KB)
The Memorandum of Understanding about .nz
Here in New Zealand, there is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) about the operation of the .nz domain namespace. The MoU applies to the Domain Name Commission, InternetNZ, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Read the MoU (PDF, 545 KB)
More information about .nz governance
Learn more about .nz governance and our role in it from the following pages and documents.
InternetNZ and Domain Name Commission Operating Agreement (PDF, 1.05 MB)
Top level domain name principles
.nz Policy development process