Reminder: 2026 Round Application Window Closes 12 August | | |
ICANN will close the application window for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round at 23:59 UTC on 12 August.
In advance of submitting an application, new gTLD applicants are encouraged to test their organization's payment processing system to ensure that ICANN can receive payment before submitting the full gTLD evaluation fee. The gTLD evaluation fee must be received by ICANN no later than 23:59 UTC on 19 August 2026, seven days after the close of the application window. To submit a test payment, applicants should email globalsupport@icann.org for instructions.
More information on the evaluation fee and payment is available here. If applicants have general questions while preparing their application, they are encouraged to contact globalsupport@icann.org as soon as possible. Once an application is submitted, applicants should use the inquiry function within the TLD Application Management System to ask questions related to their application.
To learn more about the 2026 Round, please visit the program website.
| | 2026 Round Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program Closes 12 August | |
ICANN will close the window for organizations to be evaluated through the 2026 Round Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Program at 23:59 UTC on 12 August. An early RSP evaluation period was open from 19 November 2024 to 20 May 2025. A second window to be evaluated coincides with the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program, which closes on 12 August.
While some gTLDs provide their own registry services, others outsource these to a third party. All gTLD applicants must name a provider that has been successfully evaluated through the RSP program as part of their application.
The RSP program streamlines the processing of gTLD applications by separating the evaluation of the technical aspects of running a gTLD from the evaluation of the label. RSPs need only qualify once, no matter how many gTLD applicants they choose to support.
To learn more and peruse the list of vetted providers, please visit the RSP webpage.
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Registration is open for the ICANN87 Annual General Meeting, which takes place 17–22 October 2026 in Bali, Indonesia, and online.
To attend in person, you must register by 14 October 2026. Onsite registration will not be available. Registration is free and open to all.
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New Blog Series Features Stories From ICANN's Academic Community | | | |
ICANN’s Global Academic Engagement Outreach Program is helping to strengthen connections between academia and the global Internet governance community. A new blog series explores how sustained engagement can support both academic and professional growth, and highlights the experiences of students and researchers who have built lasting relationships with ICANN.
The first blog features Lily Botsyoe, a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati, whose journey reflects the opportunities created through ICANN’s academic engagement and newcomer programs. From participating in NextGen@ICANN to becoming an ICANN Fellow and community contributor, Lily’s story demonstrates how early and continued involvement with ICANN can strengthen both academic pursuits and professional development while creating meaningful pathways into the global Internet governance ecosystem.
Read Lily’s story and discover how ICANN’s academic engagement efforts are helping connect universities, students, researchers, and other academic professionals with the multistakeholder community. Learn more by visiting the Global Academic Outreach webpage or contacting academics@icann.org with questions.
| | | LAC ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS | | | Engaging Brazil’s DNS Operators on KSK Rollover Preparedness | | | |
On July 8, ICANN participated in the IntraRede live session organized by NIC.br to engage with DNS operators in Brazil on the upcoming KSK Rollover.
The session provided an opportunity to discuss the operational relevance of Domain Name System Security Extensions and the importance of ensuring that recursive resolvers are properly prepared for the rollover. ICANN highlighted key considerations for maintaining the Domain Name System (DNS) chain of trust and reducing the risk of service disruption during the transition.
The discussion also reinforced the value of coordination with the technical community and the role of capacity building in strengthening DNS security and resilience. We thank NIC.br for the invitation and for providing an important forum to support operational readiness among DNS operators in Brazil. The live session recording (in Portuguese) can be found here.
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ICANN Participates in the 2026 Brazilian Internet Governance School | | | |
From 27 to 31 July, ICANN participated in the intensive edition of the Brazilian Internet Governance School, organized by NIC.br/CGI.br.
We were pleased to engage with the 41 participants selected for 2026, as well as with distinguished faculty members who led relevant discussions throughout the week. On the first day of activities, we had the opportunity to speak about Internet infrastructure, the role of the Domain Name System (DNS), and ICANN’s role in supporting the security, stability, and resiliency of the Internet’s unique identifier systems.
We are grateful to NIC.br and CGI.br for the invitation to contribute to this important initiative. Programs such as the Brazilian Internet Governance School play a key role in strengthening capacity building and preparing future generations of leaders for the Internet governance ecosystem in Brazil and beyond.
ICANN remains committed to supporting multistakeholder engagement, technical capacity development, and dialogue across the LAC region.
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Empowering Caribbean Digital Transformation: ICANN at SoDTIC 2026 | | | |
The 3rd School of Digital Transformation and Innovation in the Caribbean (SoDTIC) convened in Kingston, Jamaica, from 29 June to 2 July 2026. Over its eleven-year history, the school has become a vital platform for intersectoral dialogue, fostering cooperation among policymakers and international experts to navigate regional digital challenges.
ICANN contributed actively through four key sessions: demystifying how the Internet works, detailing Domain Name System Abuse mitigation strategies, and championing the collaborative multistakeholder model of Internet governance. Additionally, ICANN participated in a “Future of the Internet” panel, focusing on increasing meaningful Caribbean participation in global policy-making.
The event drew a diverse group of ICT and government leaders from across the Caribbean, alongside partners such as the Economic Commission for Latin America, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, and the broader Internet technical community. This engagement underscores a shared commitment to building capacity and ensuring a secure, inclusive digital future for the region.
| GETTING TO KNOW THE LAC COMMUNITY | | |
Wendy Palas-Amatsoleman
Suriname
| | | GNSO Domain Name System Abuse Mitigation Update | |
The Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Group (WG) on Domain Name System (DNS) Abuse Mitigation on associated domain checks is approaching the finalization of its Initial Report. The WG has been progressing since its kick-off at ICANN85 in Mumbai, India, and completed answering its charter questions by ICANN86 in Seville, Spain. The WG plans to publish its Initial Report for Public Comment in September 2026 to begin considerations of public comments at ICANN87 in Bali, Indonesia.
Mitigating DNS Abuse remains a priority issue within the ICANN community due to its ongoing impact on the security, stability, and resiliency of the Internet’s unique identifier systems. Please continue to follow the ICANN Public Comment page for publication of the Initial Report along with instructions and deadlines for submitting public comments.
| | | GLOBAL DOMAINS AND STRATEGY UPDATE | | | Latest RDRS Quarterly Metrics Now Available | |
ICANN has published the latest quarterly Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) usage metrics, providing updated data on request volumes and types, participating registrars, and overall system activity. The metrics continue to provide insights into the demand for and use of a centralized service for submitting requests for nonpublic generic top-level domain registration data.
ICANN will continue to publish RDRS usage metrics quarterly during the extension of RDRS operations. View the latest report and previous RDRS usage metrics on the RDRS webpage on ICANN.org.
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UNESCO-ICANN Policy Brief | |
ICANN and UNESCO have released a new policy brief, Advancing Universal Acceptance of All Domain Names and Email Addresses for a Multilingual Internet. This joint effort underscores a shared commitment to a more inclusive and multilingual Internet.
The brief highlights how Universal Acceptance (UA) enables all valid domain names and email addresses – regardless of language, script, or character length – to work consistently across digital systems, while offering practical recommendations for governments, the technical community, academia, civil society, and the private sector to advance UA adoption. As a key milestone in the ICANN–UNESCO collaboration, the publication reinforces that achieving a truly multilingual Internet requires both technical readiness and coordinated policy action to ensure everyone, everywhere can participate online in the language and script of their choice.
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Help Inform ICANN’s Authentication Proof
of Concept
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The Input Group: Law Enforcement Agency Authentication Mechanisms has begun its meetings and continues to welcome participants. The Input Group is a community effort that will help inform the development of a proof of concept for authenticating law enforcement requestors using the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) or its successor system.
Participants will provide practical operational and technical input on workflow design, technical requirements, and authentication processes. The mechanism would help to ensure the law enforcement agents are appropriately authenticated and enable registrars to process urgent requests within the required 24-hour response requirement established by the Registration Data Policy
More information including the group’s timeline, FAQs, meeting recordings, and how to join can be found on the Input Group’s landing page.
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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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