ICANN 2026 Round Closes with More Than 1,600 New gTLD Applications | | | |
The application submission window for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round closed on 12 August 2026 at 23:59 UTC. The close of the 15-week application submission period marks a major milestone for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) community, Board, and staff.
The majority of the applications were submitted in the final days of the application submission period. At the close of the window, ICANN received more than 1,600 primary applications, of which more than 1,100 included applications for replacement strings (secondary applications).
Read the announcement to learn more.
| | | ICANN’s 2026 Nominating Committee Announces Leadership Selections | |
The 2026 Nominating Committee announced its selections for seven leadership positions:
- Two for the ICANN Board
- One for the Public Technical Identifiers Board
- One for the At-Large Advisory Committee – Europe
- One for the At-Large Advisory Committee – North America
- One for the Country Code Names Supporting Organization Council
- One for the Generic Names Supporting Organization Council
Those selected will begin their terms at the conclusion of the ICANN87 Annual General Meeting in October 2026.
Read this announcement to learn about the selectees.
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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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What’s Next for 2026 Round gTLD Applicants? | | | |
The application submission period for the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round officially closed last month. At the close of the window, ICANN received more than 1,600 primary applications, of which more than 1,100 included applications for replacement strings (secondary applications). The total number of applications cannot be confirmed until ICANN receives payment for every applicant’s gTLD evaluation fee.
What’s next for 2026 Round applicants?
The next milestone is Reveal Day – when ICANN publishes the public-facing portions of all applications it has received, following an administrative check of each. Applicants and the public will be able to see what gTLDs have been applied for, as well as the strings that may be in contention with one another.
Barring extenuating circumstances, ICANN expects that it will publish that list no later than nine weeks following the close of the application window, and the date for Reveal Day to be announced this month.
The 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook outlines what applicants can expect in the next stages of application and evaluation:
ICANN also will host a number of 2026 Round sessions at ICANN87. Please check the meeting schedule for information.
Resources to prepare applicants for the key phases of the application lifecycle can be found on the 2026 Round Applicant Journey webpage.
Be sure to check the program's News and Announcements page frequently for the latest news and updates. This information also will be sent directly to entities that have submitted an application in the TLD Application Management System.
| | | EMEA ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS | | | Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the European Summer School on Internet Governance | |
First held in 2007, the European Summer School on Internet Governance (EuroSSIG) was created in response to the World Summit on the Information Society to strengthen global capacity in Internet governance. It has since inspired Internet governance schools around the world.
ICANN has long supported EuroSSIG as a sponsor and contributor. At the 20th anniversary, held from 26 July to 1 August 2026, Janis Karklins, ICANN’s Head of Government Engagement, joined a discussion on Internet governance and geostrategic policy, while Adam Peake, Civil Society Engagement Senior Manager, lectured on ICANN and multistakeholder governance. Both also participated in conversations with fellows and other faculty members throughout the week.
EuroSSIG brings together fellows from government, civil society, the private sector, and academia. Its influence extends well beyond Europe: Nearly half of its 499 alumni are from other regions.
ICANN congratulates Professor Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Sandra Hoferichter, and the EuroSSIG team on 20 years of leadership in Internet governance education.
| | | ICANN’s FY27 Middle East Engagement Builds Momentum | | | ICANN Engages With African Telecommunications Stakeholders | |
ICANN sponsored and participated in the Seventh African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries, held from 17 to 24 July 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria. The conference provided an opportunity to follow Africa’s preparations for the next International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary conference.
Yaovi Atohoun, ICANN’s Stakeholder Engagement and Operations Director for Africa, and Bob Ochieng, ICANN’s Senior Director of New gTLD Subsequent Procedures, took part in the one-day Africa preparatory meeting. They also joined ATU working groups on ITU resolutions and met with representatives of regional organizations, including the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly and the Communications Regulators' Association of Southern Africa, as well as national regulatory authorities.
During the conference, delegates elected Kezias Kazuba Mwale of Zambia as the ATU’s next Secretary General after four rounds of voting.
The conference built on a series of webinars organized in July through a collaboration among ICANN, the ATU, and the ITU. The sessions introduced government representatives, country code top-level domain operators, and regulators to ICANN’s ecosystem, with a particular focus on the Governmental Advisory Committee.
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Eastern Europe and Central Asia | | |
EMEA Community Member Profile | | |
Seher Sagiroglu, Stakeholder Engagement Manager
Republic of Türkiye
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My name is Seher Sagiroglu, and I am delighted to serve as ICANN’s Stakeholder Engagement Manager for the Middle East and Central Asia, focusing on building collaborative relationships, increasing awareness of ICANN’s mission, and creating opportunities for meaningful participation in ICANN’s multistakeholder model.
Over the past five months, I have engaged closely with Internet stakeholders across Central Asia. Attending the Central Asia Internet Governance Forum in Tajikistan for the first time was especially memorable – not only for the valuable discussions, but also for the warm hospitality of the regional community. As someone from Türkiye, I felt a strong personal connection through the long-standing cultural ties between Türkiye and Central Asia.
I am excited to continue strengthening ICANN’s relationships with governments, the technical community, academia, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders across Central Asia.
Our engagement continues in September, when I will participate in TLDCON in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 22–23 September 2026. I warmly invite stakeholders from Uzbekistan and across the region to connect with me during the event.
I look forward to meeting you, hearing your perspectives, and continuing our conversations.
| | | Third ccNSO DNS Abuse Survey Explores ccTLD Trends and Mitigation | |
In August 2026, the ccNSO DNS Abuse Standing Committee (DASC) launched the third edition of the ccNSO DNS Abuse Survey. The survey is part of the committee’s ongoing work to better understand trends in DNS Abuse across the ccTLD ecosystem and explore ways to support ccTLD managers in mitigating abuse.
The survey is open from 17 August to 20 September, 2026, and DASC invites all interested ccTLD managers to share their experiences and perspectives. Responses will build on insights from previous editions and help provide a clearer picture of how DNS Abuse trends and mitigation approaches among ccTLDs are evolving. Survey results will also guide the DASC workplan.
Preliminary survey results will be presented at ICANN87, followed by a post-ICANN87 webinar providing further details.
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DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP 1 Working Group Update | |
The DNS Abuse Mitigation PDP 1 Working Group has published its Initial Report for Public Comment. A webinar introduced the ICANN community to the Initial Report, led by the PDP Chair, Paul McGrady, which took place on 9 September 2026. Public Comment for the Initial Report closes on 28 September 2026. There will be four Working Group sessions at ICANN87 in Bali to review Public Comments received.
The System for Standardized Access/ Disclosure (SSAD) Supplemental Recommendations Team (SRT) has been meeting regularly to discuss modifications to the original SSAD recommendations, which were declined by the ICANN Board on 12 March 2026. The SSAD SRT is preparing the draft Supplemental Recommendations for Public Comment, scheduled to open at the end of October 2026.
| | | GLOBAL DOMAINS AND STRATEGY UPDATE | | | |
The UA Day 2026 Report highlights how organizations across the world came together to move beyond awareness and toward the practical implementation of Universal Acceptance (UA). This year’s 33 UA Day events attracted more than 5,800 participants and were held across 30 countries and territories in 15 languages. Organized by ICANN in collaboration with the community, and global, regional, and local organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the fourth annual UA Day demonstrated that it has become an important platform for building awareness, strengthening technical capacity, and encouraging organizations to make their systems UA-ready. ICANN thanks the many individuals, organizations, and attendees who contributed to successful UA Day 2026 events.
All UA Day reports, including translations, are available on the UA Day website.
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Continuous Improvement Program Advances Its Work Across the Community | |
ICANN has published an update on the community’s progress in implementing the Continuous Improvement Program (CIP), highlighting work underway across Supporting Organizations, Advisory Committees, and the Nominating Committee. The update outlines milestones, including the development of assessment plans, criteria, and indicators, and engagement activities as the community moves toward a continuous approach to organizational improvement.
The CIP is designed to strengthen accountability, effectiveness, and transparency through ongoing assessment and improvement, replacing periodic Organizational Reviews over time. Learn more and read the latest update.
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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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