- Internet Access: UNESCO and ICANN Collaborate to Enhance Linguistic Diversity Online
PARIS and LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2025 — UNESCO and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) have announced a new agreement to enhance linguistic diversity in the digital realm. This initiative will make the Internet more accessible to millions of users.
Under this new agreement, UNESCO and ICANN will collaborate to promote the secure use of additional scripts and languages within the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS). This initiative will cover domain names and email addresses essential for access and online communication. Additionally, the two organizations will work together to advance the Universal Acceptance (UA) of all domain names and email addresses, regardless of their character length, language, or script, across all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems.
“In our increasingly digital world, ensuring everyone has access to the Internet is essential. Currently, only about 400 languages are fully represented online, which is just a small fraction of the approximately 7,000 spoken languages worldwide. This agreement to improve linguistic diversity is a significant step towards making the Internet accessible to all,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
“We look forward to working with UNESCO to bridge digital divides and connect communities,” said ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist. Supporting domain names in local scripts and languages and their Universal Acceptance enables a diverse and multilingual online experience. This collaboration with UNESCO reaffirms our goal of one world, one Internet.”
- Connecting the Next Billion People
Today, more than 5.4 billion people regularly use the Internet, with an additional 2.6 billion expected to come online. Most current and potential users communicate in their local languages and scripts. Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) ensure everyone can access the Internet’s social and economic benefits. IDNs enable Internet users to select domain names and email addresses in the language and script that best reflect their needs and cultural identity.
Universal Acceptance guarantees that all domain names and email addresses function smoothly on the Internet. However, many software applications still use outdated validation rules for domain names and email addresses, which do not accommodate all domain names, particularly those in local languages and scripts. Organizations and stakeholders must ensure their systems are ready for Universal Acceptance to benefit from these advancements fully.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has 194 member states and promotes peace and security through collaborative efforts in education, science, culture, communication, and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO operates offices in 54 countries and employs more than 2,300 staff members. The organization oversees over 2,000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks. It manages Creative, Learning, Inclusive, and Sustainable Cities networks, more than 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, and training and research institutions.
ICANN aims to ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To connect with another person online, you must enter an address—a name or a number—into your computer or other device. This address must be unique so that computers can locate each other accurately. ICANN coordinates and supports these unique identifiers globally. Established in 1998, ICANN is a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a diverse community of participants worldwide.
Sources: UNESCO, ICANN
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