- The initial focus of the Dynamic Coalition on DNS Issues (DC-DNSI) will be to promote Universal Acceptance. Universal Acceptance (UA) “refers to the process by which software is updated to accept all valid domain names and email addresses.”[2]
- The Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG), a community-based team whose objective is to help software developers and website owners understand how to update their systems to keep pace with an evolving DNS, has developed valuable technical documentation, operational documents, and case studies relating to UA over the course of three years.
- The DC-DNSI will build upon this important work by canvassing the challenges faced by policymakers and decisionmakers when deciding to implement UA. Based upon this understanding, which will be built through dialogue and exchange amongst members of the Dynamic Coalition (DC), the coalition will develop an approach to global advocacy and awareness raising for UA. Adoption by enterprises and government-procurement are two likely areas of focus.
- The DC-DNSI intends to hold its first, official meeting during the IGF 2018 in Paris. Here, the group will finalize an action plan for 2019.
- The work of the DC for 2019 will culminate in a written output for the IGF 2019 in Berlin, as well as a session that will involve C-suite executives and policymakers describing their approaches to UA adoption and the resulting benefits.
- The DC-DNSI will develop copy for the IGF website containing general information pertaining to the coalition (i.e., list of on-going/future projects, ways to support coalition, members of the DC, contact details, mission statement).
[2] Michael Kende & Andrew Kloeden for Analysys Mason, Paper for UASG: Unleashing the Power of All Domains: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Benefits of Universal Acceptance, White Paper (11 April 2017), available at: https://uasg.tech/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Unleashing-the-Power-of-All-Domains-White-Paper.pdf.