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UA day 2023

Ministry Of IT & Telecom and Internet Society Pakistan Islamabad Chapter Hosted ICANN UA Day event hosted at National Incubation Center (NIC), Islamabad. Session was conducted by ICANN Senior Director, IDN & UA Programs, Dr. Sarmad Hussain.
Keynote was given by Syed Junaid Imam Member IT, Ministry of IT, address emphasized the significance of Universal Acceptance and highlighted its role in digital inclusion and digital transformation.
UA is critical for promoting digital inclusivity, as it enables people from all over the world to participate in the digital sphere on equal terms, regardless of their language, script, or region.

In 2023, Pakistan proudly joined the global community as a flag bearer for UA adoption, organizing the first-ever UA Day Pakistan under the leadership of the ISOC Islamabad Chapter, in collaboration with ICANN, local partners, and industry experts.

Highlights from UA Day Pakistan 2023

The inaugural event marked a milestone for multilingual Internet enablement in Pakistan, bringing together leaders from the public sector, academia, civil society, and the technical community—all united to advance Universal Acceptance and IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) readiness.

Dr. Sarmad Hussain, Senior Director of IDN and UA Programs at ICANN, attended as a distinguished guest and emphasized the importance of regional leadership in advancing UA across South Asia.


The event featured:
  • Technical training on UA testing and EAI (Email Address Internationalization)
  • Awareness sessions for developers, policymakers, and educators
  • Policy dialogues aligned with Pakistan's National IT and Digital Policy
  • A shared commitment to foster local content, language technology, and DNS innovation

Why UA Matters page

Universal Acceptance isn’t just a technical standard — it’s a pillar of digital sovereignty and inclusivity.

For Pakistan, it means:

  • Enabling email addresses and domains in Urdu and regional languages
  • Promoting local business visibility online
  • Ensuring equal access to digital services for all linguistic communities
  • Strengthening national identity in the global Internet ecosystem

UA Day page

ICANN & UASG announced UA Day initiative at the end of 2022 and called for proposals for the inaugural 2023 celebration.)

28 Mar 2023

Universal Acceptance Day Pakistan

outreach session; participants joined remotely and in-person.

ISOC Islamabad Chapter, Ministry of IT & Telecom, Pakistan Software Export Board.

UA Day 2023 Events Schedule - ICANN

2023 picture