The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today launched a call for proposals for UA Day 2026 events to be held between 25 March and 30 May 2026. Building on its partnership with ICANN to advance Internet inclusivity, multilingualism, and equitable access online, UNESCO is supporting this fourth annual series of events that focus on the adoption of Universal Acceptance (UA). The deadline to submit a proposal is 9 November 2025.

UA is a technical requirement that ensures all valid domain names and email addresses, regardless of script, language, or character length, work in all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. In a UA-ready world, Internet users can choose an online identity in the language or script of their choice and ensure that their chosen domain names and email addresses will work seamlessly on the Internet.

Achieving UA-readiness is essential to enabling a more linguistically diverse Internet. In line with UNESCO's 2003 Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace, and the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032), this initiative supports efforts to foster multilingualism, digital inclusion, and equitable access to information online. For more information on UA, please visit https://www.icann.org/ua.

Event proposals are encouraged from all relevant organizations, including ICANN Regional At-Large Organizations; At-Large Structures; Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees; as well as governments, international organizations, technology organizations and companies, open-source communities, standards bodies, email service providers, software and technology developers, web-hosting platforms, academia, DNS industry, and language communities.

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