We would like to thank the community for working constructively with the ICANN organization (org) on the Operational Design Phase (ODP). Thanks to this cooperation, we are pleased to share that the ICANN Board has reviewed the ODP process paper following two rounds of...

Ahead of the upcoming ICANN70 Virtual Community Forum, the ICANN Board is meeting for its second virtual workshop of 2021. This workshop will be an opportunity for the Board to further our discussions on a range of topics, such as recent developments regarding the...

As ICANN org's President and CEO Göran Marby mentioned in this blog, the Information Transparency Initiative (ITI) will launch a new content subscription feature on 16 March 2021. This new feature is part of ITI's commitment to improve the findability and transparency of...

In January, the ICANN Board announced that ICANN70, originally scheduled as an in-person meeting in Cancún, Mexico, will be held as the fourth virtual ICANN Public Meeting. As part of ICANN org's ongoing efforts to improve these virtual Public Meetings and meet the needs...

ICANN's multistakeholder model relies on the active participation of our global community. Providing language support in multiple languages for events and meetings is crucial to encouraging diverse participation. The shift from physical to virtual meetings has created...

Since our last update, ICANN org has taken several important steps toward implementing the recommendations outlined in the Final Reportof the Cross-Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability, Work Stream 2 (WS2). I would like to take this opportunity to...

I'm pleased to announce that on 16 March 2021, the Information Transparency Initiative (ITI) will reach a significant milestone. We will replace some content types on the current https://icann.org with our new ITI search experience and launch a new content subscription...

In my 16 December 2020 blog, I reported that the European Commission had unveiled important initiatives that touch on the Domain Name System (DNS), including domain name registration data and DNS services providers. On 26 February, the ICANN organization held a...

The ICANN Board convened virtually to hold its first workshop of the calendar year from 22-24 January 2021. As I mentioned in my preview blog, the Board continues to evolve how we collaborate and conduct our business. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make meeting...

In order to expand the effectiveness of Domain Abuse Activity Reporting (DAAR) for the community, in November 2019, country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) were invited to participate in the DAAR system designed by ICANN's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO)....

On behalf of the ICANN Board, I wish you good health and happiness, and for those facing difficult times, please know that our thoughts are with you. The ICANN Board stands ready to work together with the org and community to achieve the goals we've outlined for the year...

ICANN org continues to evolve operational policies and practices that have an impact on the human rights of its staff and vendors. Since my last update, ICANN org has introduced training in the areas of bias and anti-harassment, launched several COVID-19-related mental...

At a special meeting of the ICANN Board on Thursday 14 January, the Board decided that ICANN70 will be the fourth Public Meeting to be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to Thursday’s Board meeting, ICANN org staff presented the Board with an initial...

Happy New Year! As we look ahead into the new year, I would like to take the opportunity to say that I am proud to be part of the Internet community, working with you through what has been a most challenging 2020. As we are not out of the woods yet with regard to the...

With the year coming to an end, I would like to take a moment to provide an overview of ICANN's efforts regarding the European Union's (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and what to expect in 2021. EPDP Phase 2 Recommendations As I wrote in October, the...

On 21 December, the U.S. Congress passed a bill providing a $900 billion stimulus package for COVID-19 relief and to fund government operations (the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021). In an accompanying set of instructions, Congress directs the National...

The Cross-Community Working Group on New gTLD Auction Proceeds (CCWG-AP), formed in January 2017, was tasked with developing a proposal on the mechanism to allocate the proceeds generated from auctions of last resort used to resolve string contention in the New gTLD...

Designed to shape ICANN's priorities, the Five-Year Strategic Plan establishes a vision and a set of objectives and goals in service of ICANN's mission. Every year, new trends or shifts in existing trends have the potential to impact our plans. The pandemic has...

National, Regional, Subregional, and Youth Internet Governance Forums (NRIs) have emerged organically around the world. Similar to our recent evaluation of the Schools on Internet Governance, the ICANN organization (org) has conducted a review of NRIs around the world and...

I am pleased to announce that the ICANN Board has approved ICANN organization's first Risk Appetite Statement. The Risk Appetite Statement articulates the level of risk that the org is willing to take and retain in order to fulfill its mission. The Board also approved...

The year 2020 started like any other year with normal face-to-face activities. First on our calendar was Praia (Cabo Verde) followed by Bujumbura (Burundi). This quickly changed dramatically with the onset of COVID-19. Like the rest of the global community, many of our...

Over the past few months, the Domain Name System Security Facilitation Initiative Technical Study Group (DSFI-TSG) has progressed its work by discussing various past breaches and attack campaigns that either utilized or directly impacted the Domain Name System (DNS). The...

This week, the European Commission published important initiatives relevant to the Domain Name System (DNS) including domain name registration data and DNS services providers. ICANN org would like to bring this to the attention of the community. The Digital Services Act...

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, the ICANN Board of Directors conducts a self-evaluation every two years to assess our effectiveness and ability to work together in support of ICANN's mission. Through the evaluation, we identify areas of strength,...