International Telecommunication Union
ITU's work covers a wide range of issues related to the Internet, from telecom networks and standards, to cybersecurity and child online safety, and from digital divide to ICTs and climate change.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit corporation overseeing global Internet unique identifiers. It coordinates allocation of critical resources like domain names and IP addresses. Formerly overseen by the US Department of Commerce, ICANN now manages these functions through its affiliate Public Technical Identifiers post-transition in 2016. ICANN establishes policies for Internet naming and numbering through a consensus-driven, multistakeholder approach.
Internet Engineering Task Force
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a global community developing technical standards for the Internet, focusing on making it function better. They create documents like protocol standards through the Requests for Comments (RFC) series. Notably, they have made significant contributions to Internet protocols, such as IPv4 and IPv6. The IETF also provides guidance on transitioning to IPv6, ensuring compatibility between IPv4 and IPv6 systems. Additionally, the IETF addresses topics like Internet routing, Domain Name System, cryptography, security, and privacy within Internet protocols.
Internet Governance Forum
Internet Governance Forum is a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on Internet governance issues.
