BALI, Indonesia, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) convenes its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bali from 17-22 October, bringing the global Internet community together to advance work on Internet security, Domain Name System (DNS) expansion, and global cooperation.
Co-hosted by the Indonesian Internet Domain Name Registry (PANDI), with support from Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs and the Bali Provincial Government, ICANN87 marks the first ICANN public meeting in Indonesia. The meeting brings together government representatives, businesses, technical experts, and civil society to address issues affecting the Internet's security, stability, and global interoperability.
The Welcome Ceremony on 19 October featured remarks from Meutya Hafid, Indonesia's Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs; Isnawan Aslam, President of PANDI; Tripti Sinha, ICANN Board Chair; and Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO.
"As we look toward the next decade, our responsibility is not simply to accommodate the Internet's continued expansion, but to preserve the trust that makes it meaningful. Connectivity enables participation. Growth creates opportunities. And protection builds the trust necessary to sustain both. For Indonesia, the objective is therefore not simply to bring more people online. It is to ensure that they can participate in a digital environment that is accessible, secure, and relevant to their needs," said Meutya Hafid, Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.
"Hosting ICANN87 marks an important milestone for Indonesia and reflects PANDI's commitment to the global Internet community. For us, managing .id goes beyond technical responsibilities; it is a commitment to safeguarding our nation's digital identity. We believe trust is earned through a proven track record, consistent performance, and responsible governance. Building on our experience and continuously strengthening our capabilities, PANDI remains committed to strengthening Indonesia's digital identity and ensuring that .id is secure, stable, trusted, and ready for the future of the Internet," said Isnawan Aslam, President of PANDI.
ICANN Board Chair Tripti Sinha highlighted the multistakeholder model of governance and the need to sustain public trust. "The tenth anniversary of the IANA stewardship transition demonstrates how this governance model has endured technological and geopolitical change. We continue to earn trust through transparent governance, sound decisions, and effective implementation," Sinha said.
"We need to strengthen the connection between strategy, prioritization, budgeting, and implementation, making the process clearer and more transparent," said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO. "The ICANN community develops solutions and the ICANN org must turn those solutions into effective action."
ICANN Recognizes Hartmut Glaser for Capacity Building
During the welcome ceremony, ICANN awarded Hartmut Glaser the 2026 Dr. Tarek Kamel Award for Capacity Building. The ICANN Board recognized his contributions to Internet governance capacity building at local, regional, and global levels, including founding and leading the Brazilian School on Internet Governance and helping establish the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Address Registry (LACNIC). Sinha presented the award to Glaser, who joined remotely.
The award honors the late Dr. Tarek Kamel, an Internet pioneer, and recognizes members of the ICANN community who advance capacity-development programs related to ICANN's mission.
Advancing a Secure, Stable, and Inclusive Internet
ICANN87 features more than 200 working sessions on Internet policy and technical priorities, including DNS Abuse mitigation, strengthening the security, stability, and reliability of the Domain Name System (DNS), and expanding domain name options through the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program.
The six-day meeting advances ICANN's multistakeholder model, which brings diverse groups together to develop policies and coordinate the Internet's unique identifiers. Participants will also take part in capacity-building and leadership development discussions, while new members of the ICANN Board of Directors take their seats.
To learn more and join the conversation, visit www.ICANN.org and the ICANN87 website.
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
About PANDI
Pengelola Nama Domain Internet Indonesia (PANDI) is the registry operator for Indonesia's country-code top-level domain (ccTLD), .id. PANDI plays a role in developing the .id domain name ecosystem and supporting secure, stable, and trusted Internet governance.
PANDI is an organization whose membership represents various stakeholders, including the government, the Internet industry, and academia. As of 31 December 2025, the number of registered .id domain names had grown to 1,431,960, making .id the largest country-code top-level domain in Southeast Asia.
The .id domain represents Indonesia, Identity, and Ideas. In the governance of .id domain names, PANDI also administers the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (PPND) in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
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ICANN87 Brings Global Internet Community to Bali
As part of TECNO and artist Angélica Dass's global "100 Portraits of Becoming" project, the new BBC StoryWorks film reveals the personal journeys behind the portraits, bringing to life a shared vision of seeing beyond the image to understand the people behind it.
HONG KONG, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global innovative technology brand TECNO has jointly produced and released a new film with BBC StoryWorks to unveil the project of "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year global portrait project co-created by TECNO and internationally acclaimed visual artist Angélica Dass which started from Kenya as the first chapter. Building on TECNO's philosophy of inclusive imaging technology and Angélica Dass's distinctive approach to portraiture, the project plans to bring together 100 portraits and personal stories across five countries, moving beyond visual representation to explore the individuality and humanity behind each portrait. Through the personal journeys featured in the film, audiences gain a glimpse into the energy and aspirations of people navigating today's changing world — how they are finding their own paths, shaping new possibilities and imagining who they want to become.
Watch the full film
The film also explores the shared vision behind TECNO's collaboration with Dass. While TECNO's Universal Tone technology seeks to fairly represent the beauty of different skin tones and human diversity, Dass's work has long challenged the labels and assumptions through which we see others. Together, they bring a shared belief to "100 Portraits of Becoming": that being seen is about more than appearance — it is also about being understood for who we are.
Through the film, this idea comes to life in Kenya, where the first chapter of "100 Portraits of Becoming" began. It introduces some of the people behind the portraits, each with a different story of finding their own way forward. For agripreneur Alex Mutua Muli, opportunity wasn't something to seek elsewhere, but something to create at home. By connecting local farmers to wider markets, he is helping build a future in the community where he grew up. Alexander Odhiambo took a different path, turning an uncertain start to his career into a new beginning. From a small apartment in Nairobi, he co-founded a software company that has since grown to serve markets across Africa, opening doors for others along the way. And for Jelimo Cheboi, what began as a small WhatsApp group became something much bigger. As co-founder of GirlSkate Nairobi, she has helped turn a shared passion for skateboarding into a growing community where girls and women can challenge expectations, find belonging, and express themselves on their own terms.
Their stories are different, but each challenges an assumption about what is possible — whether it is where opportunity can be found, what a career can become, or who gets to belong. Together, they offer a glimpse of the people behind the portraits, whose lives cannot be summed up by a single image or label.
"The beauty of this project was the chance to look beyond an image and let people tell their own stories. Through their passions and experiences, every person we met brought a vibrancy and depth to the film that a single portrait may not fully capture. We hope the film will encourage audiences to see people with a little more curiosity and a little more understanding," said Tom Deakin, Director, Content Strategy at BBC StoryWorks APAC.
"100 Portraits of Becoming" is a two-year global project bringing together 100 portraits and personal stories across Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil. Together, these portraits and stories will form a growing collection that celebrates the many different ways of being human — 100 people, 100 stories and 100 ways to see humanity. Following its first chapter in Kenya, the project will continue its journey to more countries around the world, uncovering new stories, experiences and perspectives on what it means to become. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and the latest updates from "100 Portraits of Becoming" on the BBC StoryWorks project page and "100 Portraits of Becoming" by TECNO and Angelica Dass official website.
About TECNO
As a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, TECNO has been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in global emerging markets, relentlessly pushing for the perfect integration of contemporary, aesthetic design with the latest technologies and AI. TECNO offers a wide range of smartphones, smart wearables, laptops and tablets, smart gaming, HiOS operating systems and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of "Stop At Nothing," TECNO is committed to unlocking the newest technologies and AI-powered new experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and their best futures. For more information, please visit TECNO's official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.
About "100 Portraits of Becoming" by TECNO and Angélica Dass
"100 Portraits of Becoming" is a global portrait project created by TECNO together with internationally recognized artist Angélica Dass. Over two years, it will produce one hundred portraits across five countries — Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil — pairing Dass's portrait methodology with TECNO's Universal Tone inclusive imaging technology. Each portrait moves beyond a face to the person behind it: to lives unfolding across different cultures, generations and moments of social change. One hundred portraits become one hundred ways of seeing humanity — and one growing archive of who we are, told by the people living it. To learn more, please visit: https://www.tecno-mobile.com/100portraitsofbecoming/.
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TECNO and BBC StoryWorks Unveil New Film Exploring the Human Stories Behind "100 Portraits of Becoming"
