PIR Policies

.NGO and .ONG Registration Policy

The mission and purpose of the .NGO and .ONG top level domains (“TLDs”) is to serve the global Non-Governmental Organization (“NGO”) Community by supplying it with exclusive TLDs that will offer NGOs and associations of NGOs differentiated and verified online identities.

A. Registrant Eligibility Requirements; Certification. Public Interest Registry (PIR) uses seven characteristics to define an NGO. Registrants are required to certify that they meet the following eligibility requirements when registering a .NGO or .ONG domain name(s). All third-level domains are subject to this Policy.

  1. Focused on acting in the public interest. Whether in support of education or health, the environment or human rights, members of the .NGO and .ONG community work for the good of humankind and/or the preservation of the planet and do not promote discrimination or bigotry.
  2. Non-profit making/non-profit-focused entities. While many NGOs engage in commercial activities or generate revenue in support of their missions, members of the .NGO and .ONG community do not recognize profits or retain earnings.
  3. Limited government influence. Recognizing that many NGOs have important interactions with government (which may include receipt of government funding in support of their programs), members of the .NGO and .ONG community decide their own policies, direct their own activities, and are independent of direct government or political control.
  4. Independent actors. Members of the .NGO and .ONG community should not be political parties nor should be a part of any government. Participation in the work of an .NGO and .ONG is voluntary.
  5. Active Organizations. Members of the .NGO and .ONG community are actively pursuing their missions on a regular basis. Members must also actively use the .NGO or .ONG domain name in the DNS (i.e., developed website, email services). 
  6. Structured. Members of the .NGO and .ONG community, whether large or small, operate in a structured manner (e.g., under bylaws, codes of conduct, organizational standards, or other governance structures).
  7. Lawful. Members of the .NGO and .ONG community act with integrity within the bounds of law.

i. PIR has determined that organizations formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (or any territory thereof) do not meet the criteria “Limited Government Influence” and “Independent Actors.” Accordingly, prospective registrants from China and its territories should not register .NGO and .ONG as they will not meet PIR’s Eligibility Requirements. In the event PIR discovers that a .NGO or .ONG domain name is registered by an organization organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (or any territory thereof), PIR will delete the domain name for failing to meet our Eligibility Requirements.

ii. PIR is a U.S. company subject to U.S. laws. Registrant hereby certifies that neither it nor any of its subsidiaries or, to its knowledge, any director, officer, or employee of registrant or any of its subsidiaries is a person who (a) is the target of any laws administered by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or any other United States governmental entity imposing economic sanctions and trade embargoes, or (b) is located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the target of sanctions imposed by OFAC or any other United States governmental entity. Registrant understands and agrees that PIR does not permit registrations from registrants residing in or organized under any such country in the .NGO and .ONG TLDs. In the event PIR discovers that any .NGO or .ONG domain name is registered by a registrant that would not be permitted by any OFAC restrictions (or other restrictions imposed by U.S. law), PIR will delete the domain name.

B. Audit Process. PIR conducts audits of .NGO and .ONG domain registrations and reserves the right to cancel, transfer, or modify a domain name, in accordance with PIR’s Policies and other legal requirements. PIR will conduct an audit of .NGO and .ONG domain registrations if PIR receives a claim that this Policy has been violated. The audit process is as follows:

  1. Registrars will be notified via email that a registrant of theirs has been selected for an audit. Registrars will be asked to collect the following from their registrant:The NGO entity formal name and other names under which they do business, the country in which the NGO entity is formally registered to do business, and evidence of NGO status: government lists, corporate documents (e.g., Articles of Incorporation), tax records or other documents evidencing the entity’s charitable status and work in the community it serves.
  2. PIR may attempt to confirm that the documentation provided establishes the registrant’s NGO status as defined by this Policy. In the event that PIR requires additional information , it will notify the registrar that more information is needed to complete the audit process and the registrant will need to provide such additional information to complete the audit.
  3. Registrars have 30 days to respond to an audit on behalf of their registrant. When PIR has sufficient information to determine compliance with this Policy, it will notify the registrar of its determination. PIR is not required to wait 30 days to make its determination. If the Registry determines that the registrant does not meet the Eligibility Requirements, the registrant’s domain name will be deleted and released back into the pool of available domains. Names deleted pursuant to this Policy are not entitled to refunds.
  4. If the registrant does not respond to PIR’s audit request(s) within 30 days, the domain name will be placed on ServerHold.

C. Name Selection Policy. .NGO and .ONG domain names must fulfill certain criteria. PIR permits the following types of domain name registrations in .NGO and .ONG:

  1. The name of (entire or portion of) the NGO, e.g., its “doing business as” name;
  2. An acronym representing the NGO;
  3. A name that recognizes or generally describes the NGO; or
  4. A name related to the specific mission or activities of the NGO.

D. Use of Data. In accordance with the validation and audit requirements set forth in this Policy, PIR will contact registrants subject to audits using the registrant email provided at the time of registration. If you have questions or concerns you can see the full Privacy Notice or contact PIR at [email protected].

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