.eh
| Introduced | Not officially assigned |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Unassigned |
| Registry | None |
| Sponsor | None |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Western Sahara |
| Actual use | Not available for use |
| Registration restrictions | Not available for registration |
Western Sahara is a disputed territory, in turn it has no country code top-level domain (ccTLD), but .eh is reserved for that purpose. IANA has no sponsoring organizations assigned to this domain.[1]
These letters correspond to "Sáhara Español" (ESH, as Western Sahara was previously called Spanish Sahara) and also match Saguia el-Hamra, one of two provinces in the earlier Spanish Sahara.[2]
On August 1, 2007, an international consortium made a bid to the IANA to administer the .eh domain on behalf of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.[3] Morocco, an occupying power, has made competing claims to the domain.[4]
On October 16, 2007, ICANN decided not to delegate .eh at all, with the explanation that:
there are currently two applicants for the delegation of the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .EH (Western Sahara). Both requests meet the technical criteria for managing a top-level domain. In cases like this, IANA has a long-standing policy of requesting that the two contesting applicants work together to find a mutual solution that will serve the needs of the local Internet community in the best possible fashion. ICANN does not see a way to approve the .EH ccTLD delegation to one of the applicants without violating its long-standing policy unless the contesting parties are able to reach an agreement.[5]
The two applicants remain armed belligerents; no such agreement has been reached and the domain remains inactive.
[edit] References
- ^ IANA .eh whois information
- ^ Western Sahara at Flags of the World
- ^ The doteh group homepage, formerly at doteh.org, is now gone and the domain has fallen into the hands of cybersquatters
- ^ Extensions - .eh : Desert Storm DomainesInfo, September 4 2007
- ^ Preliminary Report for Special Meeting of the ICANN Board of Directors ICANN, October 16 2007
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