Previously, the topic of Human Rights and ICANN was not actively discussed and was even considered taboo.



However, there has been a recent resurgence in the discussion of Human Rights as it relates to ICANN's future. During a meeting in Cancun, various stakeholder groups discussed how Human Rights considerations could inform ICANN's policy-making processes.

Representatives emphasized that technical and non-technical issues should be informed by the same human rights and tech principles to achieve the best outcome for everyone, including the private sector. This sustainable approach ensures that HR compliance trust is the main currency of the Internet. Without it, even the most advanced digital technologies are useless. Corporations often replace ethics with marketing to maintain trustworthiness, but this is not sustainable in the long run. Eventually, negative impacts and disruptions of a technology become so great that even the most powerful corporations cannot maintain their value proposition. The recent rise of AI is an example of this.

Trust indicators founded in universal values that create and restore trust are of utmost importance in the digital domain. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides legally enforceable trust indicators that extend fully into the digital domain. In the past, "human rights" have been weaponized and used to make demands on the ICANN community, but it is necessary to rebrand HR so that they can become tools for ensuring security, stability, sustainability, and prosperity in the digital domain.

To generate trust, stakeholders must see tangible benefits. We can already see a growing demand for trust and integrity in several other marketplaces, and a "digital integrity industry" is emerging. This movement is gaining momentum, and we are just at the beginning.

The process of aligning ICANN with Human Rights does not require a revolution but rather a slow and steady approach. In order to do this, the ICANN community needs to learn how to identify human rights as opportunities for all stakeholders. While the multi-stakeholder model has clear limitations, it is important to evolve and adapt so that ICANN can continue to function effectively. Economic considerations should drive policy-making, rather than misguided ideals such as democracy.

By reminding ourselves and the community about the fundamental human rights values integral to the DNS, we can move in the right direction. The root servers are an excellent example of how diversity results in stability and security. We must explore how to translate/use HR values in policy-making and internet governance to clarify relationships between stakeholders and other digital policy-making bodies. This will enable ICANN to better define its remit and competencies, preventing attempts by personal, political, and economic special interests to use it as a playground.

The ICANN 77 policy meeting in Washington could be an ideal platform to initiate this process. An informal cross-community group could be created to organize awareness and capacity-building activities, without causing too much noise.
With little support from the board and staff, this group can help point ICANN and its community in the right direction. This will ensure that ICANN can remain relevant and effective in the future.