Upperlink has announced its collaboration with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Universal Acceptance Steering Group for UA Day 2026 to host a global awareness event focused on promoting a more inclusive and multilingual internet ecosystem.
The event, themed “Building a Truly Global, Multilingual #Internet4All”, will hold virtually on Monday 18 May 2026 by 10:00AM WAT, bringing together stakeholders across government, academia, technology, digital policy, and the Internet community to discuss the future of Universal Acceptance and digital inclusivity.
The Upperlink, ICANN, UNESCO and Universal Acceptance Steering Group’s UA Day 2026 will feature live demonstrations, expert-led strategy sessions, and conversations around enabling Internet systems, applications, and digital platforms to support all domain names and email addresses, regardless of language, script, or character length.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Akano Olusegun, the managing director and CEO of Upperlink Limited, noted that Universal Acceptance is critical to ensuring that billions of Internet users around the world can fully participate online using their native languages and local digital identities.
“As Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, there is an urgent need to build Internet systems that reflect linguistic diversity and provide equal access for all users. UA Day 2026 is an opportunity for stakeholders to collaborate and shape a more inclusive digital future,” Olusegun stated.
The event aligns with ongoing global efforts championed by ICANN and UNESCO to promote digital inclusion, local language accessibility, and universal Internet participation.
Developers, tech ecosystem players, policymakers, educators, Internet governance stakeholders, students, startups, and digital rights advocates are encouraged to participate in the session.
Registration
Participation is free, but interested participants are required to register to attend the event via the official registration link here (https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nklQmJObT8OtS2AF_bE0fA#/registration) or QR code provided on the event flyer.
