ICANN invites proposals for UA Day 2026 events
UA aligns with broader international efforts to promote multilingualism online, including UNESCO’s long-standing work on universal access to cyberspace.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened a call for proposals for Universal Acceptance (UA) Day 2026 events to be held between 25 March and 30 May 2026. The deadline to submit an event proposal is 9 November 2025. According to ICANN, this fourth annual series will again be supported by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), continuing a partnership aimed at promoting an inclusive and multilingual internet.
What Universal Acceptance is
Universal Acceptance is a technical requirement: all valid domain names and email addresses – no matter the script (for example, Arabic, Devanagari, or Latin), language, or length – should work across all internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. When software is ‘UA-ready,’ people can use domain names and email addresses in the languages and scripts of their choice and expect them to function reliably. ICANN and the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) use UA Day to raise awareness and provide hands-on training to builders of websites, apps, and email systems.
Why it matters
Many online forms, mobile apps, and email systems still reject newer or non-Latin domain names and internationalised email addresses. A UASG measurement study from 2022 showed that of 2,000 popular websites, fewer than 10 percent accepted email addresses using local-script mailboxes, while roughly 80 percent accepted long ASCII top-level domains – evidence that progress is uneven and technical work remains. Improving ‘UA-readiness’ helps expand access for users of non-English languages and supports a more linguistically diverse internet.
Who can host and what’s funded
Event proposals are encouraged from a wide range of organisations: ICANN community groups (such as At-Large structures and regional at-large organisations), governments, standards bodies, technology companies, open-source communities, email and hosting providers, academic institutions, the domain name industry, and language communities. Typical activities include awareness sessions, developer trainings, adoption workshops, and strategy roundtables focused on making software and services UA-ready. (ICANN notes its continued collaboration with UNESCO around UA Day in 2025 and beyond.)
How to take part
Prospective hosts submit a proposal to ICANN outlining event goals, target audiences, and planned activities for any date within the 25 March–30 May 2026 window. Selected events are listed on the UA Day website and may receive logistical support materials and visibility through ICANN and UASG channels. For background on UA and previous UA Day efforts, see the UASG’s UA Day page and ICANN’s UA updates.
Big picture
UA aligns with broader international efforts to promote multilingualism online, including UNESCO’s long-standing work on universal access to cyberspace. As software and services adopt UA, more users can register domain names and use email addresses that reflect their language and identity – helping organisations reach communities that have been underserved by legacy limitations.
