By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN) has announced a
one-time contribution of US$1 million to support the long-term sustainability,
operations, and global participation of the Internet Governance Forum.
The
decision was approved by the ICANN Board of Directors and comes in the wake of
the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS+20 review process, through
which United Nations Member States agreed to establish the Internet Governance
Forum as a permanent global platform for dialogue on internet governance.
For
the past two decades, the Internet Governance Forum has served as a key
multistakeholder space for governments, the private sector, civil society, the
technical community, academia, and internet users to engage in open discussions
on the evolution and governance of the internet. ICANN, which manages the
global domain name system, has been an active participant in the forum, using
the platform to advance understanding of the internet’s unique identifier
systems and issues aligned with its mandate.
According
to ICANN, the contribution is intended to strengthen the IGF Secretariat’s
administrative stability, improve operational predictability, and enhance its
ability to facilitate global dialogue, capacity development, and engagement
with developing country stakeholders.
The
organization emphasized that a strong and stable Internet Governance Forum
remains essential for effective international cooperation on internet
governance. It noted that the forum continues to play a central role in
sustaining the multistakeholder model by enabling inclusive participation
across sectors and regions in shaping the future of the internet.
