Last Updated on by ICT Byte
Nepal is all set to host UA Hackathon Nepal 2025, a dynamic one-day event focused on building awareness, offering technical training, and developing Universal Acceptance (UA)-ready platforms through hands-on hacking sessions. The event is supported by the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) and organized in coordination with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
This hackathon builds upon the momentum of UA Day 2023, aiming to equip individuals and communities with essential digital skills and knowledge to help build a more inclusive internet.
About the Organizer
The event is being organized by the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Federation, established in 1992. CAN Federation is a non-profit, non-political umbrella organization that represents IT professionals, institutions, and businesses across Nepal. It actively contributes to policy-making, implementation, and government collaboration in Nepal’s ICT sector.
What is UA Day?
UA Day is a global event led by UASG and ICANN. The 2025 edition will bring together communities, governments, businesses, and tech leaders from around the world to raise awareness about Universal Acceptance and encourage its adoption. The day will include training and awareness sessions hosted by UA Ambassadors, local initiatives, and global partners, focusing on how to make systems UA-ready and the benefits of doing so.
Understanding Universal Acceptance
Universal Acceptance (UA) is a technical standard that ensures all valid domain names and email addresses — including those in non-Latin scripts — are accepted and function across all internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems.
Despite advances in the Domain Name System (DNS), many systems still fail to recognize or properly handle newer generic Top-Level Domains (TLDs) like .photography, or internationalized domain names (IDNs) such as एमईआईटीवाई.सरकार.भारत or 红螺寺.网址. Additionally, not all platforms accept email addresses in non-Latin characters. As a result, true digital inclusion remains a challenge without UA adoption.
About UASG
The Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) was founded in 2015 and is supported by ICANN. It is a community-driven initiative composed of over 120 representatives from companies, governments, and community groups. UASG works to increase awareness about UA, provides free resources to help systems become UA-ready, and tracks global adoption. For more information, visit https://uasg.tech/.
Why Universal Acceptance Matters
The internet currently serves over 5 billion users, with another 1 billion expected to come online in the near future. Ensuring UA helps unlock access for all users, especially in local languages and scripts. Benefits include:
- Inclusivity – Expands internet access in diverse languages and scripts
- Innovation – Encourages development of UA-ready tools and platforms
- Global Access – Enables systems to serve more people in their native language
- Cultural Preservation – Supports digital representation of local languages and identities
UA Hackathon Nepal 2025 represents a major leap forward in Nepal’s journey toward a truly inclusive and multilingual internet—setting a model for the region and beyond.
