A Fresh Five-Year Map for ICANN

On July 2, 2025, ICANN officially announced the roll-out of its strategic direction for Fiscal Years 2026–2030, which came into force on July 1, 2025. This comprehensive framework will serve as the guiding compass for ICANN’s initiatives and actions over the next half-decade. Board Chair Tripti Sinha emphasized that this plan is a collective effort—its effectiveness depends on engagement from the entire global community.

From Idea to Implementation

The development of the strategic plan unfolded over six meticulously structured phases spanning September 2023 through April 2025. It began with a deep environmental scan, where stakeholders identified internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats. These insights shaped the strategic objectives, which were then refined through drafting, community consultation, and public commentary. The ICANN Board adopted the plan at the ICANN 82 meeting on March 13, 2025. Following a 21-day review period by the Empowered Community, with no objections raised, the plan officially took effect at the start of FY26.

Four Core Objectives, One Unified Vision

The plan is anchored by ICANN’s aspirational 2030 Vision: “As the trusted steward of the Internet’s unique identifier systems, ICANN is dedicated to strengthening the single, globally interoperable Internet for all.”

To realize this vision, ICANN has distilled its strategy into four central objectives:

• Revitalize and expand the multistakeholder model, making governance more inclusive and representative.
• Enhance organizational excellence, ensuring agility, sustainability, and minimized environmental impact.
• Drive innovation and collaboration, aligning Internet identifiers with technological advancements.
• Fortify security and stability, defending critical systems in a world of rising cyber threats.

These objectives together build a cohesive roadmap for ICANN’s mission through 2030.

From Strategy to Action

Paired with this Strategic Plan is a detailed Five-Year Operating Plan, which breaks each objective into actionable initiatives, timelines, and performance metrics. Annual reviews are built into the process to enable fine-tuning in response to technological shifts, policy developments, or market changes. Operational teams have already begun aligning budgets and project goals with the new priorities. For the wider Internet community, this opens renewed avenues to influence policy, track milestones, and reinforce the principle of "One World, One Internet."

For complete details, review the full ICANN Strategic Plan.