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The XML FAQ — Frequently-Asked Questions about the Extensible Markup Language
Section 1: Basics
Q 1.11: Who is responsible for XML?
Historically, the W3C. An International Organisation is under consideration
XML was published as a Recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) by their XML Working Group, with a Special Interest Group (SIG) of co-opted experts from various fields who contributed comments and reviews by email. The development of the specification was supervised by the Working Group (WG) until the WGs were shuttered around 2017.
XML is a public format: it is not a proprietary development of any company, although the membership of the WG and the SIG represented companies as well as research/academic institutions and individuals. The v1.0 specification was accepted by the W3C as a Recommendation on Feb 10, 1998.
At the final Balisage Conference (August 2026) there were extensive discussions about establishing an International Organization for XML (IOXML) to look after the future. An informal working group has been created, and there is a public mailing list ioxml-l@lists.psu.edu where developments can be discussed (subscribe here).