ICANN87 GAC Communiqué outlines priorities on DNS abuse, registration data and new gTLDs

The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has published its communiqué from ICANN87, held in Bali, Indonesia, from 17 to 22 October 2026. The document summarises the Committee’s discussions, activities and advice on issues relevant to ICANN’s policy and operational work.

A central focus is the 2026 round of the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program. The GAC discusses safeguard assessments, government readiness to review applications, geographic names and community applications, and the Applicant Support Program. It calls for an evaluation of the support programme to examine differences in regional participation and understand why some applicants did not proceed. The Committee also highlights the need to maintain financial and technical support for applicants throughout the remaining stages.

The communiqué also addresses DNS abuse mitigation. The GAC discusses measures to improve information sharing between registrars, the development of policy on associated domain checks, and the need for reliable industry-wide reporting on how registries and registrars meet their obligations. It calls for consensus policy on associated domain checks to be implemented before new gTLD strings are added to the DNS.

Another issue is the verification of domain name registration data. The GAC reiterates its position that registrars should complete validation and verification before newly registered domain names become accessible through the DNS, rather than relying on the existing 15-day timeline. The Committee proposes further discussions on this issue before ICANN88.

On access to registration data, the document covers the development of the System for Standardized Access/Disclosure (SSAD), the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS), and authentication of law enforcement requests. The GAC reiterates its support for a permanent and mandatory SSAD for gTLD registrars and highlights the need for clear procedures for urgent requests, including the 24-hour response requirement.

Other topics include Universal Acceptance and internationalised domain names, human rights and accessibility in ICANN activities, capacity development, and revisions to the GAC Operating Principles. The communiqué also records the election of Thiago Dal-Toe of Colombia as Vice-Chair and the composition of the GAC leadership team following ICANN87.

The document provides a record of the GAC’s positions and priorities following the Bali meeting and identifies areas for continued engagement with the ICANN Board, supporting organisations and other parts of the ICANN community.

The full ICANN87 GAC Communiqué is available on the GAC website, alongside previous communiqués and GAC advice.