ICANN announces members of new Universal Acceptance Expert Working Group

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has introduced the members of its newly formed Universal Acceptance (UA) Expert Working Group (EWG). The group will develop guidelines to support ICANN’s efforts to adopt Universal Acceptance, a cornerstone for creating a more inclusive and multilingual internet.

What is universal acceptance?

Universal Acceptance (UA) is the principle that all valid domain names and email addresses should work everywhere on the internet, regardless of their length, language, or script. For example, users should be able to register and use addresses written in Arabic, Chinese, or Hindi scripts as easily as those in Latin characters like .com or .org.

UA is crucial for building a more linguistically diverse and accessible internet, allowing people worldwide to use online identities that reflect their languages and cultures. However, many systems and applications still fail to recognize or correctly process newer domains or Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), creating barriers to digital inclusion.

Who is in the working group?

The UA Expert Working Group is composed of representatives from ICANN’s Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees, along with experts appointed by ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist. Members were selected based on their expertise in UA, IDNs, and multilingual internet development.

• SO/AC-nominated representatives:
  • Abdalmonem Tharwat Galila (Governmental Advisory Committee)
  • Edmon Chung (At-Large Advisory Committee)
  • Nabil Benamar (Security and Stability Advisory Committee)
  • Nitin Walia (Generic Names Supporting Organization)
  • Sami Mohamed Ali (Country Code Names Supporting Organization)
• President/CEO-appointed representatives:
  • Cathy Wissink (Unicode Consortium)
  • Guilherme Canela (UNESCO)
  • Jiankang Yao (China Internet Network Information Center)
  • Richard Ishida (Worldwide Web Consortium)
  • Sean Bedford (Meta)
  • Thomas Mullaney (Stanford University)

Edmon Chung of DotAsia and Sarmad Hussain, ICANN’s Senior Director for IDN and UA programs, will co-chair the group. James Galvin will serve as the ICANN Board Liaison.

Why this matters

The creation of the UA Expert Working Group reflects ICANN’s recognition that universal acceptance is not just a technical goal, but also a driver of digital inclusion. Ensuring that all domain names and email addresses function properly across systems helps expand access to online services for people who do not use Latin-based languages.

UA is also tied to ICANN’s New gTLD Program: Next Round, which will expand the availability of domain names and encourage competition and innovation. By making sure these new domains are universally recognised, ICANN aims to strengthen user choice and global participation in the internet.

Looking ahead

UA and IDNs remain a priority in ICANN’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. The new working group will provide expert guidance on how ICANN and its community can accelerate adoption, bridging the gap between technical standards and real-world use.