The full process and resulting applicant guidebook has taken about five years to develop and includes various advisory committees to help represent third-party interests, such as the the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), which advises ICANN on international and local laws.
Objections raised by the panel - the Government Advisory Committee (Gac) - will not be binding on net address regulator Icann (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), but the organisation must produce "well reasoned arguments" if it decides to deny any request.