Hamburg hosted the 78th Annual General Meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) from 21 to 26 October, a key event in the world of internet governance.
The presence of the .barcelona domain at this global forum is significant as it demonstrates the city’s commitment to internet governance and active participation in the decisions that affect global digital architecture. Through this participation at ICANN 78, the .barcelona domain reaffirms its determination to be a fundamental part of the discussions that shape the future of the internet.
During the congress, representatives from the .barcelona domain took part in working sessions, debates and meetings with other key stakeholders in the internet community.
Through this interaction, representatives of various domains were able to share the successes and challenges experienced to date, as well as perspectives on the role of city domains in the configuration of the digital ecosystem.
At the same time, the presence of the .barcelona domain offered the chance to establish collaboration with other cities and regions looking at adopting city domains as a tool for digital projection. Through its own exclusive domain, the city of Barcelona can become a role model and source of inspiration for other cities looking to consolidate their digital presence.
One of the main topics addressed at the meeting was the European NIS2 directive on cybersecurity, a very important issue as it highlights how the European Union regulates and how its legislation can influence an international institution such as the ICANN, with repercussions for a global market and thousands of organisations in the world.
While there are still a lot of doubts over how the NIS2 directive will affect domains, we believe that collaboration in this area is essential to guarantee internet security, and that meetings such as this hold the key to establishing some guidelines for action.
Finally, we were also able to celebrate Nacho Amadoz being named as the vice-chair for the Generic Names Supporting Organisation (GNSO), one of the main organisations making upthe ICANN. Nacho Amadoz, the corporate director for the Fundació.cat (the organisation that manages the .barcelona and .cat domains), will combine this new role with his role as the chair of the geoTLD.group.
