Topic 1: UDRP Review
The objective of this session is to provide an informational briefing to the GAC regarding recent developments related to the UDRP which the GAC discussed during its ICANN74 meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. As reported in the GAC ICANN74 The Hague Communiqué, the GAC then received an update on the status of the planned review of the UDRP.
This session will be an opportunity to discuss the recently completed review of the UDRP by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and possible next steps the GNSO may take regarding the Phase 2 of the Review of All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs dedicated to the UDRP.
Topic 2: DNS as Foundation for Digital Identity
This GAC Plenary Session is proposed by the host country GAC Delegation, under the umbrella of GAC Strategic Objective #7 Impact of New Technology on Internet Unique Identifier Systems: “The GAC will increase understanding and raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities of new technologies as they relate to the Internet’s unique identifier systems. To that end, the GAC will leverage the expertise in the ICANN Community, governments and beyond, to share information and consider potential implications, for the benefit of GAC members and all stakeholders”.
The proposed session is expected to align with several of the Expected Outcomes for this Strategic
Objectives in the GAC Annual Plan 2025/2026 including those related to Artificial Intelligence (7.2) Blockchains (7.4) and Cryptography (7.5). It also relates to DNS Abuse Mitigation (GAC Strategic Objective 4 and related Expected Outcomes).
For more than four decades, the Domain Name System (DNS) has served as one of the Internet’s most trusted and resilient protocols, providing a globally interoperable framework for naming and resolution. While DNS was not designed as an identity system, its structure, cryptographic extensions, and operational maturity have increasingly positioned it as a foundational layer for digital trust. At the same time, emerging decentralized technologies are expanding the role of names, linking them to authentication, digital assets, and cross-platform identifiers, often outside established governance and security models.
This session examines how DNS can evolve, without disruption, to function as a foundation for digital identity through a Universal Resolution approach that remains fully compatible with the existing DNS hierarchy by leveraging the DNS resolver logic. It explores how decentralized components such as distributed zone storage, blockchain based namespaces, machine-learning–driven abuse detection, and privacy-preserving cryptographic techniques (including zero knowledge proofs) can be integrated in a controlled, standards-aligned manner.
The discussion will address practical considerations around security, accountability, and compliance requirements, including DNS Abuse Mitigation, offering a pragmatic blueprint for extending Internet naming while preserving the trust, stability, and global interoperability.
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