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ICANN83 Recap
14 July 2025
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Chair’s Blog: Recap of the June Board Workshop and ICANN83
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By Tripti Sinha, ICANN Board Chair
My Board colleagues and I would like to thank everyone who participated in the
ICANN83
Policy Forum [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net], which took place last month online and in Prague, Czech Republic. Your contributions ensure that ICANN’s processes reflect
the interests of all stakeholders.
Before the meeting, the ICANN Board gathered for a three-day workshop, where we discussed key issues. At a Regular Meeting on 8 June, the Board
approved
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] funding for the first group of vendor contracts for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round. In addition, during the
workshop, the Board received a status update on the implementation of the program overall, including the Applicant Support Program, Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program, Applicant Guidebook, and the Base Registry Agreement.
Read my
blog
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] for more of the top takeaways from the Board Workshop and ICANN83.
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By Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO
On behalf of the ICANN organization (org), I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the ICANN83 Policy Forum. ICANN83 was attended by 1,333 participants in Prague, including
172 first-time attendees. In addition, 569 people registered to join us online.
Overall, these participants represented 129 countries and territories. Here's a regional breakdown of the in-person attendees:
·
Africa – 92 (6.9 percent)
·
Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands – 208 (15.6 percent)
·
Europe – 593 (44.5 percent)
·
Latin America and the Caribbean – 87 (6.5 percent)
·
North America – 353 (26.5 percent)
This meeting gave the ICANN community the opportunity to discuss and advance policy work on important issues, including the next round of new gTLD applications, Domain Name System
Abuse, and the 20-year review of the outcomes from the World Summit on the Information Society.
Read my
blog
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] to learn more.
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ICANN would love your feedback! If you have any questions or ideas about how we can improve the monthly newsletters in your region, please send your feedback to newsletterfeedback@icann.org.
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ICANN Publishes Insights and Clarifications on INFERMAL Study
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Understanding how and why bad actors register domain names for malicious purposes is an ongoing challenge in the effort to reduce Domain Name System (DNS) Abuse. The INFERMAL project,
short for Inferential Analysis of Maliciously Registered Domains, is a research initiative sponsored by ICANN’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and conducted by KOR Labs that takes a closer look at attacker behavior, and what registrar and registry
features are most often associated with abuse.
This two-year study builds on earlier work from the Statistical Analysis of DNS Abuse in Generic Top-Level Domains project. Rather than focusing on outcomes alone, INFERMAL zeroes
in on the registration process itself: What services do attackers prefer when registering domains for phishing? What features seem to deter them?
In our recent report, "Insights
and Clarification on the INFERMAL Study [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net]," we provided a deeper analysis of the study's findings and addressed potential misunderstandings
or misinterpretations that may have arisen. We encourage the ICANN community to review the document to gain a clearer understanding of the results as well as their implications.
If you have any further questions, please contact the OCTO-SSR team at
ssr-research@icann.org.
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Honoring ICANN’s Working Group Chairs and
Vice Chairs
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By Tripti Sinha, ICANN Board Chair
As we continuously strive to recognize and salute the crucial contributions of our ICANN community members, the ICANN Board of Directors hosted the annual ICANN Working Group Chairs
and Vice Chairs Recognition Reception during the ICANN83 Policy Forum on Tuesday, 10 June 2025. At the reception, we acknowledged the devotion, leadership, and tenacity of 53 chairs and vice chairs of ICANN working groups.
Leading a working group requires significant time, energy, and patience. Whether it means staying ahead of complex timelines, managing across different time zones, or building a
spirit of trust and togetherness, working group chairs and vice chairs play a critical role in policy and advice development. Their ability to facilitate discussions and build consensus is crucial to the success of our multistakeholder model.
On behalf of the ICANN Board, I thank the ICANN working group chairs and vice chairs for their hard work and enduring commitment to ICANN's mission.
Read the list of honorees in my
blog
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net].
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ICANN Launches First Academic Hour at ICANN83
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At ICANN83, ICANN hosted its first-ever Academic Hour, an informal gathering held at the ICANN Engagement Booth. Designed as a welcoming space, the activity brought together newcomers
and experienced community members to discuss academic engagement across regions. Participants exchanged ideas on how ICANN org can support efforts to integrate Internet governance topics into academic settings and raise awareness of ICANN’s mission within
universities and research institutions.
The Academic Hour also highlighted opportunities for students and educators to connect with ICANN’s newcomer programs and to use the free self-paced online learning platform,
ICANN
Learn [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net]. This initiative is part of ICANN org’s broader strategy to strengthen ties with the academic community and encourage long-term involvement.
Attendees appreciated the open dialogue and shared practical insights on how to foster regional collaboration.
Academic stakeholders are invited to continue the conversation by reaching out to
academics@icann.org,
helping ICANN expand its educational outreach and deepen its impact across global learning communities.
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ICANN83 Policy Forum Puts Focus on the New gTLD Program: Next Round
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The ICANN83 Policy Forum offered a sweeping view of what the next round of the New gTLD Program is expected to look like. The forum included eight sessions devoted to the subject,
one focused on the Applicant Support Program, and many others touching on various aspects of the New gTLD Program: Next Round.
In the first of two Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) sessions about the New gTLD Program, the GAC participated in a
capacity-development
workshop [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] on the applicant journey. The session provided an overview of the matters applicants may encounter during the gTLD application
evaluation process and emphasized the particular points where the GAC will be involved.
Beginning with a high-level snapshot of the entire applicant journey, the session included flow charts that showed the various paths an application might take. That path is dependent
on what type of gTLD is applied for and if the string (the characters after the dot) is subject to objection or winds up in contention. The second half of the workshop delved into specific aspects of the journey to provide more detail on contention set resolution,
string similarity evaluation, objections and appeals, and other topics.
The GAC also participated in a
joint
meeting [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] with the At-Large Advisory Committee, where the discussion focused on the Applicant Support Program. An
At-Large
plenary [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] offered an opportunity to unravel questions about the application and evaluation process for supported, community-based gTLD applicants.
Program team members also provided updates and responded to questions throughout the week, including at several sessions of Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) stakeholder
groups and constituents. The GNSO Registries Stakeholder Group offered a session centered on
brand
TLDs [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] and another on
geographic
names [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net], both providing innovative use cases and dynamic discussion.
If you weren’t able to make it to Prague, please visit the
ICANN83
website [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net], where you can access session recordings and transcripts.
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ICANN RFI: Evaluator Panels for String Similarity and Variant Justification
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ICANN has issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input from providers on their ability to perform evaluations of string similarity, variant justification, or both, as part
of the New gTLD Program: Next Round, which is expected to launch in April 2026. Providers will assemble a panel of experts to perform these evaluations.
The purpose of the RFI is to gather insights from prospective providers regarding their methodologies, expertise, and perspective on the potential challenges that may arise while
conducting evaluations of string similarity, variant justification, or both, under ICANN's policies and guidelines.
More information is available in the
RFI
announcement [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net].
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Resources for Public Comment on the Draft Applicant Guidebook
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ICANN Opens Nomination Period for the Dr. Tarek Kamel Award for Capacity Building
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ICANN opened the nomination period for the Dr. Tarek Kamel Award for Capacity Building on 30 June 2025. The award recognizes ICANN community members for significant efforts in developing
aptitude in areas related to ICANN’s mission.
Submit your nominations via the nomination form by 31 July 2025! This year’s award recipient will be announced by the ICANN Board at ICANN84 in October 2025.
For more details, please review this
announcement
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net].
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Celebrating 10 Years of UASG Accomplishments
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In 2015, the community-initiated Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) was established with one clear mission: to make the Internet truly global through Universal Acceptance
(UA). The vision was simple, yet profound – an Internet where people around the world can use the domain name and email address of their choice, regardless of language or script.
As we reflect on a decade of progress, this milestone provides us with a chance to look back, celebrate the community’s achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to linguistic diversity
and digital inclusivity for billions of Internet users worldwide. This important anniversary was marked by a celebration of ICANN83, where community members came together to honor the UASG’s contributions. It also coincided with the publication of a new
report
[nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] highlighting the UASG’s 10-year achievements.
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Engagement and Collaboration at the Annual Contracted Parties Summit 2025
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The annual
Contracted
Parties Summit [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net] (CP Summit) took place 5–7 May in Hanoi, Viet Nam, and brought together over 500 attendees from across all ICANN regions.
Attendees joined both in person and remotely to discuss shared challenges, opportunities, and priorities.
Organized with input from the Contracted Parties Summit Planning Team, the CP Summit featured two full days of sessions, covering key topics critical to the contracted parties and
community. Ten substantive sessions were held and a dedicated Tech Ops Roundtable focused on several technical themes. The opening reception included a welcome from ICANN Board Chair Tripti Sinha, the introduction of ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist,
and opportunities for attendees to reconnect with members of the GDD Accounts and Services team.
Discussions addressed pressing issues such as DNS Abuse, readiness for the implementation of the Registration Data Policy, and the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information
Society outcomes. These important community conversations continued at ICANN83, reinforcing the momentum generated during the CP Summit. Participants expressed strong appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate, exchange ideas, and collectively shape the
path forward on these and other shared priorities.
The Contracted Parties House reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing engagement and outlined its priorities in the
CP
Summit Statement [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net]. Several contracted party attendees also shared their gratitude for the valuable in-person interactions that the summit
fostered, emphasizing the importance of building and strengthening relationships.
For further insights and highlights from the CP Summit, read the
post-summit
survey report [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net].
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RDRS Updates From ICANN83 and May Usage Metrics Report
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During ICANN83, key cross-community discussions about the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) took place. The focus included potential future enhancements, system refinements,
a review of how RDRS aligns with the policy recommendations for a System for Standardized Access/Disclosure, and the impact of privacy/proxy and urgent request policy efforts on the service.
In the coming months, the GNSO Standing Committee expects to publish its final findings report for Public Comment, prompting additional analysis and discussion among the community
on the future of RDRS.
To review details on RDRS usage since the pilot launched in November 2023, take a look at the recent
May
2025 RDRS Usage Metrics Report [nj88a9rab.cc.rs6.net].
RDRS provides an avenue for consumer protection advocates, cybersecurity specialists, government officials, intellectual property professionals, law enforcement personnel, ICANN
community members, and others with a legitimate interest to request access to gTLD nonpublic registration data.
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ICANN Around the World
Regional Offices:
Los Angeles, U.S.A. (Headquarters)
Brussels, Belgium
Istanbul, Türkiye
Montevideo, Uruguay
Singapore
Engagement Centers:
Beijing, China
Geneva, Switzerland
Nairobi, Kenya
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
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