Charting the Course: EURid's Engagement in Multi-Stakeholder Internet Governance

EURid sees the best prospects for building trust and fostering opportunity in working together with stakeholders to discuss issues relating to internet governance and advance this vision based on a broad consensus. In that spirit, we have developed relationships with various internet governance organisations, many of which are fruitful and longstanding partnerships. 

Since 2011 EURid has collaborated with UNESCO on Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs). Together with UNESCO and APTLD we produce the IDN World Report, which presents all the key data on the use of IDNs globally and gives an insight into the challenges involved with their adoption. 

Each year, a survey is conducted which combines statistical information (such as number of IDNs registered) with sentiment analysis to reflect industry views on IDNs in the market. The annual 2024 IDN perceptions poll has been launched. For the first time, the survey is inclusive and available to anyone with knowledge of IDNs including individuals working at domain registries, registrars and other related services. You may fill in the survey via the link: https://survey.centr.org/s3/IDN-Awareness-Survey-2024.

EURid itself has launched two IDN extensions since 2016, in Cyrillic and Greek script. 

EURid is also an active partner of EuroDIG (European Dialogue on Internet Governance), which it provides with voluntary financial contributions. Moreover, since 2007 EURid has supported the European Summer School on Internet Governance, which was set up to give students, academics and those working in government or the private sector a comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding global internet governance. 

Of course, it’s not enough just to focus on the present – many of the issues relating to internet governance and cybersecurity are only going to grow in importance over the next few decades as the global digital transformation advances. With that in mind, many of EURid’s initiatives are aimed specifically at giving the younger generation – perhaps the greatest stakeholders of all – the tools they need to navigate the digital landscape. 

We are therefore collaborating with the Youth IGF, a network of young representatives of countries around the world that serves as a forum for the discussion of issues related to internet governance. And, in 2020 we put in place EURid’s own Youth Committee, which is comprised of qualified and highly skilled representatives of the younger generation, who advise on relevant EURid projects and activities and act as EURid ambassadors in various capacities.

It is also vital that Europe’s youngsters are aware of online risks and threats, and with this in mind, EURid launched the SAFEonLINE Art Competition in 2019. SAFEonLINE is a contest in which high school students are invited to react to a cybersecurity issue in their daily life they feel strongly about – cyberbullying, phishing, online privacy, technical security, etc. – by depicting it in an original visual format. “The competition aims to raise awareness about online safety and promote responsible online behaviour among young people”, says Katarina Kletečka, Liaison Manager. “By encouraging them to explore these important themes through art, we are fostering a culture of digital citizenship and empowering the next generation to navigate the online world with confidence, respect, and resilience.” 

Through EURid’s partnerships and initiatives, the organisation not only upholds the principles and vision of the EC’s Declaration for the Future of the Internet, but strives to comply with its contractual obligations, resolving technical issues, dealing with cyberattacks and identifying the source of abusive registrations. This is a daunting challenge, but it is one that motivates us daily in our mission to ensure that internet security is safe in our hands – for the Europeans of today and for the Europeans of the future.