Dear APRALO Commnity and ICANN Staff, I hereby express my interest in serving as Vice Chair of APRALO. As an active member of the ICANN At-Large community from Nepal, I am currently serving as President of the Internet Society Nepal Chapter and Vice Chair of APrIGF MSG. My engagement in Internet governance has been driven by a commitment to advancing the interests of end users, particularly from underserved and underrepresented regions. Through my work at national, regional, and global levels, I have consistently focused on bridging the gap between grassroots communities and global policy processes, ensuring meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific. I am also a member of APSIG and Executive Committee Member of IEEE SA IC on Digital Resilience. Within ICANN, I have been an active contributor to APRALO and At-Large activities. I have participated in CPWG meetings, contributing to policy discussions and public comment processes. Additionally, I have been a member of the APRALO CIP- CCG since its inception, supporting efforts to enhance APRALO’s effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. As an ICANN Fellow (ICANN72 & ICANN82) and APSIG Fellow, I have cultivated a profound comprehension of ICANN’s bottom-up, multistakeholder model and the encompassing Internet governance ecosystem. My comprehensive experience spanning ICANN, IGF, and regional processes equips me to effectively contribute to APRALO’s role within the global Internet governance landscape. Should I be elected, I will prioritize the following: · Enhancing community engagement across APRALO, particularly from underrepresented economies and youth. · Enabling structured onboarding, training, and mentorship initiatives to facilitate meaningful participation in ICANN processes. · Ensuring operational effectiveness to uphold transparency, accountability, and efficiency in APRALO’s endeavors. · Strengthening coordination within APRALO, across RALOs, and with ICANN Staff and ICANN Board. PFA my detailed statement of Interest below. WBR, -- *Ashirwad Tripathy*