I am pleased to share the ICANN organizational objectives for fiscal year 2027 (FY27), which take effect on 1 July 2026. These objectives represent the organization's priorities for the coming fiscal year and build on the framework set forth in the FY26–FY30 Strategic Plan and Operating Plan.
The objectives for FY27 focus on five key areas: strengthening ICANN engagement; promoting the multistakeholder model; facilitating broader access to the Domain Name System (DNS); supporting the policy development process; and improving operational excellence. The objectives cascade throughout the organization, serving as the basis for the annual goals of all executive team members and other staff. This enables leadership to align work across the organization and provides a continuous "line of sight" to the strategic plan.
Several of the organizational objectives focus on improving the effectiveness of ICANN's engagement activities through a more coordinated strategy and better-defined outcomes. The goal is to increase engagement across stakeholder groups, including those that are less active due to a lack of training or direction. To do this, we will work with the community to optimize capacity development and training activities to support more effective participation.
We will continue to support and promote the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and take part in important relevant global processes. Another related objective is to identify and implement steps to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of community-developed policy and advice, including implementation and enforcement.
The New Generic Top-Level Domains Program 2026 Round application window closes in August and application processing will begin during FY27. The application round, and other efforts to promote Universal Acceptance, support the strategic goal to foster digital inclusion to ensure that the DNS is accessible to all.
In the coming fiscal year, we will continue to facilitate policy development that supports efforts to mitigate DNS Abuse while sharpening and improving existing tools. We will support policy development to align registration data policies, procedures, and related mechanisms. We also will continue to work toward operational excellence in the areas of reporting, rewards, and leadership development; and to scan the horizon for technology developments that could have an impact on ICANN and its work.
If you would like to learn more, I encourage you to read the ICANN Organizational Objectives for FY27.
