Chair’s Blog: Recap of the June Board Workshop and ICANN80.
On behalf of the ICANN Board of Directors, I extend our thanks to everyone who participated in the ICANN80 Policy Forum, which took place 10–13 June in Kigali, Rwanda. This meeting was the first ICANN Public Meeting to be held in Africa since 2019 and our first-ever meeting in Rwanda. It was a joy to visit this dynamic country, and to explore the beautiful culture and scenery of the capital city. I am grateful to our hosts, including the Government of Rwanda, which also hosted the High-Level Government Meeting (HLGM) that preceded the Policy Forum.
The HLGM was the fifth such meeting organized by ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This event brought together more than 80 government delegations to discuss digital inclusion, the challenges to expanding Internet connectivity in Africa, and the future of Internet governance. The HLGM underscored the indispensable role of governments in ICANN’s mulitistakeholder processes. The Board commends the GAC for resuming these critical gatherings, paving the way for the return to a regular schedule of once every two to three years.
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