Regional Internet Registries Statement on the New IANA

Monday, October 12th 1998

In June 1998, the Executive Boards and Councils of each of the current Regional Internet Registries (APNIC, ARIN and RIPE NCC) reviewed the US Government White Paper at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/6_5_98dns.htm and welcomed it, especially the emphasis on self-administration for the Internet. In particular, the registries believed then and believe now that for stability of operation, the technical work of the new IANA corporation must be initially built out from the existing IANA technical team hosted by the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California.

The three Regional Internet Registries have supported and participated in the various processes helping to build consensus about the incorporation of the new IANA. In particular we have commented publicly on recent drafts published by the current IANA and have seen many of our concerns addressed in the process.

We fully support IANA's proposal as submitted to the NTIA on October 2nd and commit to work within its framework. While this framework is not perfect from all points of view, we realise that any result of a global consensus building process cannot be perfect for any one party. We are confident that the IANA proposal is good enough for the present and that it has the potential to evolve further as necessary.

We commit to work together and with others to establish the "Address Supporting Organisation" and have it recognised by the new IANA as soon as practical.

We renew our commitments to contribute our fair share of the operational costs of the new IANA.

The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC)

APNIC, the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, performs Internet address allocation and registration, and other Internet administration services, throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of only three such organisations which exist in the world today, and which are officially recognised and empowered by the peak administrative body of the Internet, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

APNIC is an open, neutral, non-profit and membership-based organisation. It has over 220 members located in over 40 countries and regions, as well as more than 200 organisations represented by APNIC Confederations, throughout the Asia-Pacific. Most APNIC members are Internet Service Providers (ISPs), National Network Information Centres (NICs), or multinational organisations.

For more information about the APNIC see http://www.apnic.net/

ARIN is a not for profit, membership-based organization tasked with the administration and allocation of Internet addresses and Autonomous System numbers for North and South America, Carribean and sub-Sahara Africa. ARIN has been in operation since December 22, 1997 and currently has 180 members. To date, ARIN has allocated IP numbers and/or ASNs to approximately 900 organizations.

For more information on ARIN see http://www.arin.net/

The RIPE NCC provides Internet address space registration and other coordination services in the RIPE area which includes Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of northern Asia. The structures and activities of the RIPE NCC have been developed through open processes starting from initial proposals in 1990, becoming operational in 1992 and incorporating as a not-for-profit association funded by its members in 1997. The RIPE NCC association currently has more than 1100 members from 88 countries, most of them Internet service providers. The RIPE NCC members provide Internet service to millions of users in more than 100 countries. The NCC staff is based in Amsterdam and the budgeted operating expenditure for 1998 is 3457 kECU.

For more information about the RIPE NCC see http://www.ripe.net/