A Look Back at ICANN80Sally Costerton

On behalf of the entire ICANN organization (org), I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of ICANN80, which took place 10-13 June in Kigali, Rwanda. In total, 1,004 people attended ICANN80 in person and 634 took part virtually.

In conjunction with ICANN80, the High-Level Government Meeting (HLGM) was held on 9 June and attended by 56 government delegations and 14 intergovernmental organizations in person. Additionally, 22 Members of Parliament from 15 member countries of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG) observed the HLGM in person. One intergovernmental organization and 17 government delegations observed the HLGM remotely.

ICANN80 participants hailed from 123 countries and territories, and all regions were represented:

• Africa - 445 (44.3 percent)
• Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands - 136 (13.5 percent)
• Europe - 153 (15.2 percent)
• Latin America and the Caribbean - 56 (5.6 percent)
• North America - 214 (21.3 percent)

Detailed statistics will be available in the ICANN80 By the Numbers Report, which will be published by 12 July 2024.

ICANN80 brought together members of the ICANN community, Board, and org to advance our work in key areas, including expanding the Domain Name System (DNS) and promoting digital inclusivity.

ICANN80 was the first ICANN Public Meeting held in Africa since 2019, and it provided the opportunity to engage directly with ICANN's African stakeholders and partners. In addition to hosting the fifth HLGM prior to the Policy Forum, the Governmental Advisory Committee held capacity-development sessions focused on issues affecting the region.

The Africa Space session discussed various initiatives under the Coalition for Digital Africa.

ICANN presented the 2023 Africa Domain Name Industry Study, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the DNS landscape across the continent. Several Coalition partners provided updates and showcased their progress in the areas of capacity development and Universal Acceptance.

The African Regional At-Large Organization (AFRALO) hosted two roundtable discussions on challenges affecting Africa's Internet landscape. At their joint meeting, AFRALO and the African ICANN community issued a statement, "Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Africa Through Multilingual Internet Infrastructure," which offered several recommendations to create a more equitable and inclusive digital future for Africa.

Internet governance and digital cooperation continued to be key topics of discussion at this meeting, with a plenary session exploring how ICANN can effectively engage in the United Nations debates and processes. The Country Code Names Supporting Organization also organized a discussion on the role of country code top-level domains in achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, ICANN org provided an update on the latest geopolitical developments that may affect our mission, policies, and processes.

If you missed these or any other sessions, the recordings and transcripts are available on the ICANN80 website.

Thank you again for making ICANN80 a success, and I look forward to seeing you all again at ICANN81 in November!