IGF 2024 Open Forum #36 Challenges & Opportunities for a Multilingual Internet

The Internet cannot become multilingual until software applications treat all Top-Level Domains equally, regardless of the script they are in. To do this, the multistakeholder Internet community must work together to build policy that encourages the universal acceptance of all domain names and email addresses – namely those that are not based on the Latin alphabet character set (or otherwise said, scripts that fall outside of the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character set).  Local language content, the delivery of which is enabled by Universal Acceptance, is also a key element of the multilingual Internet and requires its own policy interventions.  
 
During this Open Forum, co-organizer government representatives from Egypt, India, the U.K., and the U.S. will present on their activities to promote the multilingual Internet, including on efforts to promote local content development, universal acceptance, and the uptake of Internationalized Domain Names. Insights shared by presenting governments will inform a discussion on the primary challenges facing the achievement of a multilingual Internet and highlight lessons learned so far. Through a better understanding of the distinct role governments have to play in the pursuit of Internet multilingualism, this Open Forum will seek to build momentum and raise awareness of this critical issue. During the discussion portion of the session, both “in-person” and “remote” interventions are welcome in order to promote a seamless hybrid environment for all participating.