DNS-OARC has a Code of Conduct Committee comprised of volunteers whose primary function is to receive, review and process complaints and determine if there has been a violation of the Conduct Policy. The current members are:

Name Organization Role
Anna Sperotto University of Twente Member Representative
Dave Feldman Oracle Member Representative
Mauricio Vergara Ereche DigitalOcean OARC Board Director & Liaison to the CoCC
Keith Mitchell OARC, Inc. Company Secretary & Staff Representative

Code of Conduct Committee Charter


DNS-OARC's Member community and workshops exist as an open environment which encourages information sharing and learning, to build an inclusive and welcoming community between the professionals who enable, operate and study the Internet's Domain Name System.

To uphold this, DNS-OARC has a Conduct Policy, published at:

https://www.dns-oarc.net/oarc/policies/conduct

Scope

This Policy applies to participation in all OARC activities, whether in-person, at workshops, or online at any time on any platforms OARC operates. The OARC Participation Agreement makes compliance with the Conduct Policy binding upon OARC Member and Supporter organizations, including their designated representatives. All OARC workshop attendees are required to be bound by the terms of the Conduct Policy as a condition of registration.

Potential sanctions for breaches of the Conduct Policy non-compliance are defined in the Conduct Policy and Participation Agreement.

The CoCC’s remit does not apply to behaviors or activities that take place outside of OARC events or platforms.

All Conduct complaints shall be handled with complete confidentiality.

Responsibilities

The Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC) is responsible for:

  • Receiving, reviewing and processing of complaints, and to determine if there has been a violation of the Conduct Policy.
  • Issuing rulings and recommendations on complaint cases.
  • Formalizing a complaint handling process, including an escalation and appeals process. and sanction scale.
  • Proposing changes to the Conduct Policy and complaint handling process, if necessary, and submitting those to the Board for review and approval.
  • Issuing recommendations on the future composition and terms of the CoCC membership.
  • Establishment of, and periodic review & amendments to, this Charter.

CoCC members are:

  • Expected to actively participate in the handling of complaints, and be responsive on all other CoCC matters.
  • Required to uphold the highest standards of confidentiality in handling of complaints.
  • Strongly encouraged to attend OARC workshops, although it is not required.
  • Not compensated for time or travel expenses, but may (at the Board’s discretion) benefit from complimentary workshop attendance.
  • Required to declare any potential conflicts of interest, and recuse themselves from the handling of any complaints for which they or their organization have a personal or formal professional relationship, collaboration or involvement, that is current or was active in the previous two years..
  • Expected to resign their position if they are unable to fulfill their duties.

Membership

The CoCC shall consist of a minimum of four (4), and a maximum of seven (7) voting members appointed by the DNS-OARC Board of Directors. Representation shall include:

  • Two (2) members who are OARC Member or Supporter representatives
  • A Board Director acting as Liaison to the Board
  • A DNS-OARC Staff member
  • Additional DNS-OARC community and/or OARC Member representatives as appropriate

Nominations and Appointments

The DNS-OARC Board of Directors shall issue a call for CoCC nominations annually after OARC’s Annual General Meeting, and before the end of each calendar year. Persons may self-nominate, or be nominated by another individual. In the latter case the Board shall confirm the nominee's willingness to participate in the CoCC.

CoCC representatives or their employers must have signed a legal agreement with OARC Inc. which has confidentiality undertakings and provides liability indemnification at least as strong as the DNS-OARC Participation Agreement. The Board may remove CoCC members for reasons of non-performance, and may fill vacancies at any time as needed.

Appointment Terms

Individuals are appointed to serve on the CoCC for a term of 2 calendar years. An individual may serve no more than 2 consecutive terms. It shall be arranged that approximately half of the appointed CoCC members’ terms will expire each year.

Chair

The CoCC shall choose its Chair at the start of each appointment cycle.
Chair responsibilities include:

  • Presiding over meetings of the Code of Conduct Committee
  • A casting vote should the CoCC be unable to decide upon any business
  • Acting as the spokesperson for the CoCC to OARC Members

Meetings

The CoCC shall hold monthly meetings (conference calls), and meet additionally to process any complaints as required. Workload including meetings is expected to be 2-3 hours/month, plus any additional time required to handle complaints.

CoCC meetings shall be minuted and minutes made available to the Board, on request. Minutes should not include explicit details of or deliberations upon complaints,

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