Because unlike other TLDs, the two-letter root domains are well-defined as ccTLDs way back in 1990 defining it as "following ISO 3166" two-letter code, and ISO has assigned Niue as NU. The only exception now is .UK and .SU (United Kingdom is technically GB but before ICANN it was assigned both UK and GB and Soviet Union is gone but it has became de facto ccTLD for CIS).

There's no requirement to follow 1990s rules.

There is definitely a requirement to following international treaties unless everyone agrees to withdraw it.

Every ccTLD is assigned based on the nation's ISO 3166-1 country code. Why should the citizens of Niue be forced to use a nonstandard ccTLD?

> There's no requirement to follow 1990s rules.

Which are still followed, and has actually a special status in international law (not just in ICANN) which unlike gTLDs (which .niue will be) means that these are literally untouchable even when, I don't know, a hostile country has hosted a command center on their ccTLD?

> Because it would circumvent this drama and make everyone happy.

That is your opinion. It's unlike .TV where Tuvalu has freely make the choice and still consents Verisign to manage .TV, it's literally Niue having no say on .NU

> ISO is not anything particularly special. There are a lot of silly ISOs out there. T Niue government was not even consulted when they were assigned NU.

The UK was not consulted either, and they want to have the code UK.

> It was just a bunch of white people assigning countries letters.

You know, a country can definitely request overhauling or overturning the ISO 3166 if they wanted to. You know why they didn't? Because they are at least ambivalent to it.

> It was just a bunch of white people assigning countries letters.

was? white people?

https://committee.iso.org/files/live/sites/tc176/files/Image...

^ quite a few non 'white' people, as if that would be a valid discriminator anyway

edit: current ISO president is an african from kenya:

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/eddy-njoroge-now...