Thank you to all who work for this timely and comprehensive draft. As an ICANN85 Fellow from Yemen, I appreciate the shift from awareness toward implementation. I had intended to raise some of the points below during the session at ICANN85 where these guidelines were presented, but time constraints did not allow for it.

Implementation gap: Clearer operational roadmaps and UA-readiness benchmarks are needed. The draft would be strengthened by translating its strategic guidance into clearer operational pathways, including minimum UA-readiness benchmarks, phased implementation roadmaps, and sector-specific checklists.

Global South context: More attention to capacity constraints and localized resources (e.g., Arabic) is essential. While the draft emphasizes digital inclusion, it would benefit from a more explicit Global South lens, including localized capacity-building resources, region-specific strategies, and stronger support for languages and scripts such as Arabic.

Policy role: Model policy frameworks and procurement requirements could accelerate adoption. The draft rightly highlights the importance of public sector engagement. It could go further by providing model policy language, procurement guidance, and practical frameworks that governments can adapt to accelerate UA adoption in digital public infrastructure.

Incentives & accountability: The current approach appears to rely heavily on voluntary, market-driven adoption, particularly by large technology platforms. In the absence of clear incentives or accountability mechanisms, this may limit progress.

End-user perspective: Demand-side efforts, including awareness and local language use cases, remain underdeveloped. The draft would benefit from a stronger end-user and demand-side perspective, including awareness efforts, local-language use cases, and greater engagement with civil society and user communities to help create sustained demand for UA-ready services.

Best,

Abdulrahman Abotaleb

My main concerns relate to five areas:

(1) the need for clearer operational roadmaps and minimum UA-readiness benchmarks;

(2) the limited attention to Global South realities and localized resources, including Arabic;

(3) the need for more practical public policy and procurement tools;

(4) the current over-reliance on voluntary, market-driven adoption, especially in the absence of stronger incentives for large technology platforms; and

(5) the limited attention to end-user awareness and demand-side adoption.