In late October, the ICANN community, organization, and Board came together in Dublin, Ireland, and online for the ICANN84 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and plan for the year ahead.
The AGM is also when the ICANN Board of Directors seats new members and bids farewell to those whose terms have ended. At ICANN84, the Board was pleased to welcome Constance de Leusse, Greg DiBiase, and Raúl Echeberría. I am extremely grateful for the contributions of outgoing members Maarten Botterman, Becky Burr, and Chris Chapman, and I wish them the best in their future endeavors within the ICANN community and beyond.
Additionally, the Board held elections and appointed the membership and leadership of the Board Committees. I am honored to continue to serve as Board Chair, alongside our newly elected Vice Chair Sajid Rahman.
Prior to ICANN84, the Board held a three-day workshop. There were several key outcomes from both the Board Workshop and the AGM:
Next Round: The Board received a status update on the implementation of the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round, including the Applicant Support Program, Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program, and the Base Registry Agreement as well as the remaining items for the Implementation Review Team (IRT) to address and the launch of the Standing Predictability IRT. The Board also reviewed the readiness plans leading up to the opening of the application submission period in April 2026.
During the Regular Board Meeting on 30 October, the Board adopted the Applicant Guidebook (AGB) and the pending Phase 1 recommendations from the Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process concerning registry-level fees. The adoption of the AGB represents a significant milestone on the path to opening the gTLD application window and is a testament to the dedication of the ICANN community and organization to launching the next round of the New gTLD Program.
RDRS: The pilot period for the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) will conclude at the end of this month. Therefore, at our meeting on 30 October, the Board resolved to continue operations of the RDRS for up to two years, while the community continues its deliberations regarding the future of the service and related policy recommendations. The Board has initiated a Public Comment proceeding to collect community input on a proposed road map to align policies and that will inform continued discussions between the Board and the Generic Names Supporting Organization on this topic.
WSIS+20: The 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) will conclude at the United Nations High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly next month. ICANN has been fully engaged in the preparatory process. Ahead of this critical juncture for global Internet governance, the Board hosted Ambassador Ekitela Lokaale, Kenya's Permanent Representative to the U.N. and co-facilitator of the review, as well as a diplomat from the office of the other co-facilitator, Ambassador Suela Janina, the Permanent Representative of Albania, and staff from the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. We discussed the Zero Draft of the WSIS+20 outcome document, focusing on the value of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance, the continuation of the Internet Governance Forum, and the recognition of the technical community as a distinct stakeholder in the Internet ecosystem.
Reviews: The Board held a discussion on the draft "Purpose of Reviews" document developed by the Review of Reviews Cross Community Group (Reviews CCG) in preparation for the ICANN84 consultations. Board members James Galvin and León Sánchez, who serve on the Reviews CCG, shared insights into the key considerations arising from the group's deliberations. The Board also discussed next steps in the process to amend the ICANN Bylaws to incorporate the deferral of Specific Reviews.
Grant Program: The Board received an update on the ICANN Grant Program's progress since the Board's approval of the final slate of applicants to be funded in the inaugural grant cycle, including the process of reviewing the first grant cycle and the status of the grant recipients. We also discussed the use of auction proceeds overall, reflecting on the lessons learned to date and gathering ideas for the next phase.
Office of the Ombuds: ICANN Ombuds Elizabeth Field presented the draft Ombuds Office Framework and Process and the Ombuds Office Report to the Board on Activities, Cases, and KPIs. The Ombuds will publish the Framework and Process document for Public Comment after incorporating the Board's feedback. Following our discussion of the contents of the Ombuds Office Report to the Board, the Ombuds will finalize and publish an Annual Report to the Community.
Finances: The Board reviewed ICANN's FY25 Audited Financial Statements and report from the independent auditor, Baker Tilly. The audit was completed in late September. Baker Tilly issued a "clean audit" and noted that there were no material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or noncompliance. The Board reviewed the forecasted expenses for FY26, which are expected to be aligned with, or slightly lower, than projections.
The Board Workshop included a public informational session presented by members of the Internet Engineering Task Force about its role in the Internet ecosystem. A recording of the session is available on the Board Activities and Meetings page.
Throughout ICANN84, the Board had many productive interactions with the community, during joint sessions, the Public Forum, and other events. On behalf of the Board, thank you to everyone who contributed to ICANN84, which resulted in meaningful progress and a strong foundation for the year ahead.
