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Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

Criteria for Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries

Background

Each computer on the Internet is assigned a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. The current assignment system involves allocation of large blocks of addresses by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The IANA (which is now operated by ICANN) has overall responsibility for coordination for all number spaces used on the Internet, including the Internet address space (both IP version 4 ane IP version 6). Each RIR has been established under the authority of the IANA and is responsible for making sub-allocations and assignments of IP addresses to end users within its assigned service area. The service areas of RIRs are of continental dimensions. See RFC 2050.

There are currently three recognized RIRs:

• Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), which serves the Asia/Pacific region;
• American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), which serves the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa; and
• RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), which serves Europe and surrounding areas.

The three RIRs are members of ICANN's Address Supporting Organization (ASO), which is the consensus-based body within the ICANN framework that is responsible for advising the ICANN Board with respect to global policies for the assignment and management of IP addresses and related numbering resources.

The ASO operates under a Memorandum of Understanding among APNIC, ARIN, RIPE NCC and ICANN. That Memorandum of Understanding provides for the establishment of additional RIRs. Possible service areas for additional RIRs are Latin America (now served by ARIN) and Africa (now served by ARIN and RIPE NCC).

Criteria for Establishment of New RIRs

In their Memorandum of Understanding, ICANN and the current RIRs provided for the recognition of new RIRs::

(9) Regional IP Address Registries

The initial signatories to this MOU shall include ICANN and the Signing RIRs who have signed below. ICANN will develop requirements and policies for the approval of additional RIRs. This MOU assumes that these requirements will include at least:

(a) That the proposed RIR has demonstrated the broad support of the Internet service providers (ISPs) in its proposed region of coverage.

(b) That the region of coverage meets the scale to be defined by ICANN considering the need to avoid global address space fragmentation.

(c) That the proposed RIR's membership includes a significant percentage of the ISPs within the RIR's region of coverage which would get their address assignments from the proposed RIR.

(d) That the proposed RIR has clearly defined procedures open to all interested parties for the development of its own IP address assignment policies and for the IP address assignment policies that the RIR might recommend to the Address Council for consideration as global policies.

(e) That these policies include holding at least one annual policy development meeting open to all interested parties.

(f) That the proposed RIR has clearly defined procedures for its policy development process that are open to all interested parties and that ensure fair representation of constituents within the region of coverage.

(g) That the proposed RIR has demonstrable capability to effectively implement the RIR global policies referred to in section 5b of this MOU for the proposed RIR's entire region of coverage.

The MOU also assumes that the RIRs have to continue to meet these requirements.

Over the past eighteen months, the ASO has been discussing possible elaborations on the above guidance to the IANA's recognition of new RIRs. After extensive public consultation, on 24 April 2001 the Address Council (the coordinating body of the ASO) transmitted to ICANN a proposed set of "Criteria for the Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries". The document is intended to provide "criteria and guidelines specifically for ICANN to take into account when evaluating applications for recognition of new RIR." In addition, the "existing RIRs agree that these criteria are essential preconditions for the approval of new RIRs, and that they provide ICANN with the minimum guidelines needed when evaluating applications for recognition of new RIRs."

Click here to read the proposed Criteria for the Establishment of New RIRs.

Click here to review the open consultative process by which the proposal was developed.

Possible Action by ICANN Board

In its transmittal, the Address Council notes that the proposed criteria do not in any significant way change the current global addressing policy and are based on the principles set forth in the ASO MOU. The Address Council recommends adoption of the proposal and authorization of the ICANN staff to conduct the evaluation of new RIR applications for final board approval, with allocation of sufficient resources to carry out such an evaluation in a timely fashion.

The following is a possible resolution of the ICANN Board to implement this:

Whereas, the Address Supporting Organization Memorandum of Understanding ASO-MOU provides that ICANN will develop requirements and policies for the approval of additional Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and provides general guidance for minimum requirements;

Whereas, on 24 April 2001, after extensive public consultation, the Address Council submitted to the Board proposed Criteria for the Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries as a more specific statement of the essential preconditions for the approval of new RIRs, as a statement of the minimum guidelines needed when evaluating applications for recognition of new RIRs;

Whereas, the Address Council has also recommended that the Board authorize the ICANN staff to receive and evaluate applications for the recognition of new RIRs, using the criteria as a statement of minimum requirements;

Whereas, the Address Council proposals have been posted on the ICANN web site and discussed on ICANN's web-based public forum and at the ICANN Public Forum held in Stockholm, Sweden, on 3 June 2001;

It is therefore

Resolved, that the Board accepts the "Criteria for the Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries" recommended by the Address Council as a statement of essential requirements, in supplementation to section 9 of the ASO-MOU, and acknowledges it as a framework for consideration of applications for recognition of new RIRs;

Further resolved, that the President is authorized to establish procedures and standards for the receipt of applications for recognition of new RIRs and for the evaluation of those applications, according to section 9 of the ASO-MOU and consistent with the minimum requirements set forth in the Criteria;

Further resolved, that the President is authorized to devote sufficient resources of the Corporation to the timely evaluation of any applications according to those procedures and standards; and

Further resolved, that the President is directed to report periodically on any applications received and to present to the Board recommendations on those applications, with final action on applications being subject to Board approval.

Click here to enter the Public Comment Forum on criteria for recognition of new Regional Internet Registries.