ICANN commits US$1 million to support long-term future of Internet Governance Forum

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has announced a one-time contribution of US$1 million to support the Internet Governance Forum.

The funding was approved by ICANN’s Board of Directors and is intended to support the forum’s long-term sustainability, operations, and global participation efforts.

According to ICANN, the contribution follows the outcome of the WSIS+20 review process, during which UN member states agreed to establish the IGF as a permanent forum.

The organisation said the funding will support the work of the IGF Secretariat, including administrative functions, capacity development activities, engagement with developing-country governments, and preparations for future global discussions on internet governance issues.

Created under the 2005 Tunis Agenda, the IGF serves as a multistakeholder platform where governments, technical experts, businesses, civil society organisations, academics, and other stakeholders discuss public policy issues related to the internet.

ICANN has participated in the forum since its creation and frequently uses it as a venue for discussions related to the domain name system, internet identifiers, technical coordination, and broader internet governance developments.

The contribution comes shortly after governments agreed to make the IGF a permanent institution, a decision that ended years of uncertainty over the forum’s future mandate and funding arrangements.