ICANN83 GAC Communiqué: Key Internet Governance Updates from Prague

The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has issued its official communiqué following the ICANN83 Policy Forum, held in a hybrid format from Prague, Czech Republic. The full text of the communiqué is now available for public review.

A Global Forum in a Hybrid Format

The ICANN83 Policy Forum, conducted from 9 to 12 June 2025, brought together 80 GAC members and nine observer organizations. While some delegates participated in person in Prague, others joined remotely. Despite the hybrid setting, the communiqué was finalized without objections and reflects key takeaways from all open sessions.

GAC meetings remain open to the public and transcripts of each session are accessible on the GAC website. This transparency ensures broad participation and accountability in ICANN’s multistakeholder model.

Honouring Nigel Hickson

During the gathering, the GAC paid tribute to the late Nigel Hickson, a key figure in global Internet governance. Remembered as a principled and compassionate leader, Nigel’s legacy was honored by peers across the ICANN and GAC communities.

Strengthening Collaboration Across ICANN

Throughout the event, GAC members engaged with several ICANN bodies to discuss shared concerns. Meetings were held with the ICANN Board, At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), Address Supporting Organization (ASO), and the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC). Topics ranged from domain data accuracy and privacy, to DNS Abuse mitigation and governance of regional Internet registries.

Cross-community dialogues also took place, including participation in discussions on the ICANN Public Meetings strategy and the WSIS+20 review process.

GAC Operations and Leadership Planning

The communiqué outlines updates to GAC operational practices. This includes adjustments to leadership term limits and the scheduling of annual elections, aligning them with ICANN’s broader community timelines. GAC members also began planning for the 2025/2026 annual work plan and reviewed their ongoing strategic objectives.

GAC working groups, especially the Public Safety Working Group (PSWG), continued efforts to combat DNS Abuse and support effective access to registration data. Capacity-building efforts included a dedicated session on the New gTLD Program Applicant Guidebook, with the aim of strengthening engagement across underserved regions.

Registration Data: Key Issues and Recommendations

The GAC emphasized the importance of improving access to and accuracy of domain registration data. It expressed concern over the limited use of the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) due to low registrar participation, and called for its mandatory adoption across all gTLD registrars.

The GAC also pushed for enhancements to the RDRS, particularly regarding usability, integration with privacy/proxy services, and clearer support for first-time users. It urged timely responses—ideally within 24 hours—for urgent law enforcement requests, underscoring public safety imperatives.

Addressing DNS Abuse with Targeted Policy Action

DNS Abuse remains a major focus for the GAC. While contract updates to curb abuse were welcomed, the committee emphasized that phishing, botnets, and malware remain significant threats. Sessions highlighted insights from local registry operators and third-party research, stressing the urgency of swift intervention.

The GAC encouraged narrowly scoped policy development efforts to tackle bulk registrations and registrar responsibilities in abuse cases. It also acknowledged community-wide calls for enhanced transparency and enforcement mechanisms.

Preparing for the Next gTLD Application Round

The GAC acknowledged the release of the draft Applicant Guidebook for the next round of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), commending the Implementation Review Team (IRT) for their extensive work.

Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the Applicant Support Program (ASP). The GAC recommended that a mid-point review be conducted immediately—rather than waiting for 20 applications to be received—to ensure outreach strategies reach underserved applicants in time to support submissions before the deadline.

Additionally, the GAC encouraged its members to coordinate proactively in preparation for early warnings and public interest evaluations after the next gTLD round’s "reveal day."

Regional Internet Registry Governance and Transparency

Governance of the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) was discussed with the ASO. The GAC requested more clarity on proposed changes to governance documents and called for future versions to include rationale and change tracking. It reaffirmed its commitment to providing feedback and looks forward to more community-wide discussions at ICANN84.

Community Code of Conduct and Accountability Reviews

The GAC acknowledged progress on revising ICANN’s Code of Conduct concerning Statements of Interest. It welcomed the assurance that the updates would not impose new disclosure requirements on GAC representatives and urged finalization by year’s end.

Meanwhile, the GAC noted the deferral of the fourth Accountability and Transparency Review (ATRT4) and reiterated its importance under ICANN’s bylaws. The committee called for renewed consultation with the multistakeholder community to define a new path forward that respects accountability commitments.

Consensus Advice to the ICANN Board

The GAC provided consensus advice urging the ICANN Board to encourage the GNSO Council to initiate targeted policy development work on DNS Abuse. Specific areas of focus include bulk registration of malicious domains and registrars’ responsibilities in abuse investigations. The GAC supports accelerated timelines for these efforts in light of upcoming gTLD expansions.

Looking Ahead: ICANN84 in Muscat

The next GAC meeting is scheduled to take place during the ICANN84 Annual General Meeting in Muscat, Oman, from 25–30 October 2025. There, the committee will continue its work on Internet governance, data protection, and equitable domain expansion.