The U.N. General Assembly's WSIS+20 Review outcome document marked a major milestone for the Internet governance ecosystem, especially with the decision to make the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) a permanent forum of the United Nations. The technical community, including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), welcomes this achievement as recognition of the IGF's enduring value and an opportunity to strengthen its role.
ICANN recently announced a one-time $1 million contribution to support the IGF's long-term sustainability, operations, and global participation. That contribution reflects ICANN's commitment to the IGF and to the multistakeholder model. It is also only one part of the work ahead.
Giving the IGF a permanent mandate is only the beginning. The IGF must now continue to evolve as an open, transparent, and impactful multistakeholder platform that supports implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) outcomes.
A Permanent IGF and ICANN
With a permanent place within the U.N., the focus now shifts to strengthening the forum and shaping how it continues to evolve. Several groups have shared their perspectives on what a permanent IGF could mean, including the improvements they believe necessary to realize the IGF's full potential. One such group is the IGF Expert Group, which met in April 2026 and issued a summary report.
A stronger IGF is one that remains open to all stakeholders, grounded in the multistakeholder model, and connected to the technical and operational realities of the Internet. The IGF's value lies in creating a trusted space where stakeholders can exchange views, strengthen understanding, identify gaps, and assess where greater coordination is needed.
This is important as global digital policy discussions increasingly touch on issues that affect the Internet's unique identifier systems and the continued operation of one global, interoperable Internet. The IGF can help ensure these discussions are informed by technical expertise and by the experience of communities that operate, use, and depend on the Internet every day.
To help realize this vision, ICANN is committed to supporting and contributing to efforts that make the IGF more relevant, meaningful, impactful, and sustainable. This includes contributing to agenda-setting discussions, encouraging meaningful participation, and supporting IGF reports that are useful and connected to broader decision-making processes.
ICANN's contribution to the IGF is not only financial. ICANN and the ICANN community bring technical and operational expertise, experience with bottom-up policy development, and a global community that works to help keep the Internet stable, secure, resilient, and interoperable.
Coordination will remain key. ICANN will continue to work with interested members of the Internet community, including through our Internet Governance Network, ICANN Public Meetings, and other platforms where Internet governance issues are discussed. WSIS+20 reaffirmed the technical community's role as a distinct stakeholder group. The IGF's permanent mandate can help strengthen how those technical and operational perspectives inform Internet governance discussions.
Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the 2026 IGF
I am honored to have been appointed as one of the members of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the 2026 IGF. In this capacity, I look forward to sharing perspectives as a member of the technical community to help shape the IGF 2026 program and schedule.
The 2026 IGF will be an important early test of how the permanent mandate begins to take shape in practice. I am hopeful that this contribution will help put the IGF on a stronger footing for 2026 and beyond. ICANN remains committed to supporting that work as the IGF enters this next phase.