Email from ICANN Monday, 16 February 2026 ICANN Community Digest Click here to learn more about the New gTLD Program 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook 2026 Round Vendor Sourcing Timeline The ICANN organization Policy Development Support function publishes this twice-weekly digest to help ICANN community groups track requests and follow updates. Do you have any ideas for improving the ICANN Community Digest? Write to us at policyinfo@icann.org! Table of Contents ICANN85 Register now Prep Week Schedule ICANN85 Schedule Now Available NEW: Press Release: ICANN85 in Mumbai: Strengthening the Single, Interoperable Internet for All Information Sharing NEW: ICANN Request for Proposal: Geographic Names and Reserved Names Panels Webinars Webinar - Emerging DNS Abuse Trends and Mitigation Strategies 2026 Round ICANN Materials Provide Prospective New gTLD Applicants Clarity on Key Topics Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages Call for ASP Mentors 🚨 Action Items 🚨 WEDNESDAY: ICANN Request for Proposal: Evaluator Panels for String Similarity and Variant Strings for the new gTLD Program: 2026 Round WEDNESDAY: Apply Now for ICANN and PTI Leadership Positions ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers Public Comment ONE WEEK FROM TODAY: Latin Script Diacritics PDP Initial Report Name Collision Procedure Documentation Fundamental Bylaws Amendments on IANA-Related Reviews and CSC Charter Update Standard Bylaws Amendment – Transition Article on Specific Reviews Proposed Root KSK Algorithm Rollover Events These events occur in February 2026. ICANN85 Register now Prep Week Schedule ICANN85 Schedule NEW: Press Release: ICANN85 in Mumbai: Strengthening the Single, Interoperable Internet for All With its more than one billion Internet users and a thriving digital economy, India is an ideal location for participants from around the world to gather at the ICANN85 Community Forum to advance the technical work that ensures the secure and stable operation of the Internet. Read more. Information Sharing NEW: ICANN Request for Proposal: Geographic Names and Reserved Names Panels Interested providers are invited to submit proposals that ICANN will then evaluate for capability and expertise. Because the work related to both panels is similar, ICANN intends to consolidate the work with a single provider. Read more. 2026 Round ICANN Materials Provide Prospective New gTLD Applicants Clarity on Key Topics ICANN org is developing supplemental, complementary materials to aid prospective generic top-level domain (gTLD) applicants in understanding the Next Round application requirements, and how to navigate the application and evaluation processes. Blog. Key Topic Overview Documents. Next Round Champions Toolkit Available in the Six ICANN Languages ICANN is working with the community to identify potential Applicant Support Program (ASP) applicants – especially in regions that are currently under-represented in ICANN. If you are interested in helping to raise awareness among your own contacts or communities, please use the materials in the Next Round Champions Toolkit. To stay up to date on the New gTLD Program: Next Round and ASP, join the mailing list: nextroundinfo@icann.org. ASP leads, targets, and ideas can be sent to engagement.newgTLDprogram@icann.org. Call for ASP Mentors ICANN is seeking volunteer mentors who would like to offer their expertise to supported applicants as part of the ASP in the new gTLD Program: Next Round. ICANN is looking for mentors who can share insights and experience across ICANN Languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish) to support diverse gTLD applicants. Mentors may play a role in: advising applicants on navigating the gTLD application process and DNS industry; identifying resources; providing guidance; sharing experiences as appropriate; and helping supported applicants navigate the ICANN community and Public Meetings. If you or someone in your network might be interested, please refer to the mentor registration announcement for more information. Questions about the ASP or becoming a supported applicant Mentor can be sent to globalsupport@icann.org. Action Items WEDNESDAY: ICANN Request for Proposal: Evaluator Panels for String Similarity and Variant Strings for the new gTLD Program: 2026 Round The selected provider(s) will also be required to collaborate with ICANN on the development of evaluation guides for the work conducted by the panels, ensuring that the evaluation processes are transparent, consistent, and repeatable across all gTLD applications. DEADLINE: Wednesday 18 February, 23:59 UTC Read more. WEDNESDAY: Apply Now for ICANN and PTI Leadership Positions The selected individuals will have a unique opportunity to work with accomplished colleagues from around the globe to help shape the policy development and technical coordination of the Internet's unique identifiers. DEADLINE: 18 February 2026 Read more. GNSO’s DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP-1 Observer Enrollment While the PDP membership is structured as a representative model, all of the ICANN community are also free to enroll as an Observer to follow the deliberations of the PDP. To enroll as an Observer, enrollments will be fielded through ICANN Join. If you have not used ICANN Join before, please follow the first-time user instructions below. Accessing ICANN Join does require having an ICANN Account. ICANN Join Instructions ICANNWiki Seeking Volunteers ICANNWiki is seeking volunteers to assist with creating and editing articles and content for the site. Do you want to help? Getting started is as simple as requesting an account. Then, make sure to read the short content guide to get a feel for what belongs in the wiki. Also, feel free to take a look at some data source suggestions on where to find reliable data. Happy editing! Public Comment ONE WEEK FROM TODAY: Latin Script Diacritics PDP Initial Report Open for Submissions Date: Monday, 12 January 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 23 February 2026 Name Collision Procedure Documentation Open for Submissions Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 16 March 2026 Fundamental Bylaws Amendments on IANA-Related Reviews and CSC Charter Update Open for Submissions Date: Wednesday, 11 February 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 30 March 2026 Standard Bylaws Amendment – Transition Article on Specific Reviews Open for Submissions Date: Wednesday, 11 February 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 30 March 2026 Proposed Root KSK Algorithm Rollover Open for Submissions Date: Tuesday, 3 February 2026 Closed for Submissions Date: Monday, 6 April 2026 See upcoming proceedings. See other public consultations. Events These events occur in February 2026. To learn more, please visit our community engagement calendar. Central Africa IGF 2026 A Conversation with NTIA Assistant Secretary Arielle Roth on the future of the digital economy DNS Abuse in Cybercrime: Practical Investigation Workshop Using WHOIS and RDAP Virtual School on Internet Governance Course - Session on WISIS+20 Volume 8, Issue 13 | Archive | Next Issue: Thursday, 19 February 2026 STAY INFORMED: Subscribe here ICANN | 12025 Waterfront Drive Suite 300 | Los Angeles, CA 90094-2536 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice