ICANN86 Policy Forum to Convene Global Internet Community in Seville
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is set to host its 86th public session, known as the ICANN86 Policy Forum, from June 8 to June 11, 2026, at the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville, Spain. This event is being organized in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, with the aim of assembling participants from various sectors including governments, civil society, industry, and technical communities. Together, they will engage in discussions regarding policies, technologies, and governance that facilitate the cross-border functioning of the Internet.
ICANN plays a crucial role in coordinating key technical systems vital for the global operation of the Internet. These include the Domain Name System (DNS) and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The ICANN86 Forum will focus on ongoing community work in areas such as combating DNS abuse, accessing domain registration data, ensuring the security and stability of the DNS, promoting universal acceptance, improving internationalized domain names, and managing systems that support the global coordination of Internet number resources.
Despite being technical matters, their implications are extensive, affecting the Internet as well as the approximately six billion individuals who utilize it. These discussions will influence how security and stability are maintained on the Internet, how abuse is tackled, how multilingual access is expanded, and how the Internet remains a single, globally compatible system.
Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN, noted, "The timing of the ICANN86 Forum is critical as there is increasing global attention on how the Internet is coordinated and how essential technical systems function across borders. This highlights the importance of ICANN's consensus-based multi-stakeholder model. The community will continue its work on technical and policy issues under ICANN’s jurisdiction, which are vital for maintaining a stable, secure, and globally compatible Internet."
During the ICANN86 event, supporting organizations and advisory committees will further their work on policy development and advisory topics under ICANN’s purview. ICANN has also invited students and young professionals to engage through the "NextGen@ICANN" initiative and the ICANN scholarship program. Highlights scheduled for the forum include the opening plenary session of the Governmental Advisory Committee, a workshop focusing on DNS Security Extensions, and an event organized by "DNS Women."
María González Veracruz, the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, expressed excitement about hosting the ICANN community, stating, "Spain is proud to welcome ICANN and its community during the ICANN86 public session in Seville. We are honored to host this global gathering and facilitate discussions on the systems that underpin the Internet, keeping people connected."
ICANN86 marks the second time that ICANN has held a public meeting in Spain, following the gathering in Barcelona in 2018. The upcoming session will be hybrid in format, allowing both in-person and remote participation. On-site registration is currently open and will close on Sunday, June 7, 2026, while remote registration will remain available until the event concludes.
For more information and to register, attendees can visit the ICANN86 Meeting Website.
ICANN’s mission is to contribute to a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To connect with others online, one must enter an address on their computer or another device—a name or number. This address must be unique so that computers can locate one another effectively. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers globally. Since its establishment as a non-profit organization in 1998, ICANN has operated with a community of stakeholders from around the world, ensuring the effective operation of the Internet.
ICANN plays a crucial role in coordinating key technical systems vital for the global operation of the Internet. These include the Domain Name System (DNS) and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The ICANN86 Forum will focus on ongoing community work in areas such as combating DNS abuse, accessing domain registration data, ensuring the security and stability of the DNS, promoting universal acceptance, improving internationalized domain names, and managing systems that support the global coordination of Internet number resources.
Despite being technical matters, their implications are extensive, affecting the Internet as well as the approximately six billion individuals who utilize it. These discussions will influence how security and stability are maintained on the Internet, how abuse is tackled, how multilingual access is expanded, and how the Internet remains a single, globally compatible system.
Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN, noted, "The timing of the ICANN86 Forum is critical as there is increasing global attention on how the Internet is coordinated and how essential technical systems function across borders. This highlights the importance of ICANN's consensus-based multi-stakeholder model. The community will continue its work on technical and policy issues under ICANN’s jurisdiction, which are vital for maintaining a stable, secure, and globally compatible Internet."
During the ICANN86 event, supporting organizations and advisory committees will further their work on policy development and advisory topics under ICANN’s purview. ICANN has also invited students and young professionals to engage through the "NextGen@ICANN" initiative and the ICANN scholarship program. Highlights scheduled for the forum include the opening plenary session of the Governmental Advisory Committee, a workshop focusing on DNS Security Extensions, and an event organized by "DNS Women."
María González Veracruz, the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, expressed excitement about hosting the ICANN community, stating, "Spain is proud to welcome ICANN and its community during the ICANN86 public session in Seville. We are honored to host this global gathering and facilitate discussions on the systems that underpin the Internet, keeping people connected."
ICANN86 marks the second time that ICANN has held a public meeting in Spain, following the gathering in Barcelona in 2018. The upcoming session will be hybrid in format, allowing both in-person and remote participation. On-site registration is currently open and will close on Sunday, June 7, 2026, while remote registration will remain available until the event concludes.
For more information and to register, attendees can visit the ICANN86 Meeting Website.
About ICANN
ICANN’s mission is to contribute to a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To connect with others online, one must enter an address on their computer or another device—a name or number. This address must be unique so that computers can locate one another effectively. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers globally. Since its establishment as a non-profit organization in 1998, ICANN has operated with a community of stakeholders from around the world, ensuring the effective operation of the Internet.
Topics Policy & Public Interest）
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