RIPE NCC Conflict Arbitration Procedure                    
 Daniel Karrenberg
 Version 1.1
 25.11.97

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 Status

 This procedure comes into effect when the RIPE NCC Association starts
 providing the RIPE NCC services on January 1st 1998. It has been
 approved by the executive board of the association. A consultation
 process with the membership which may result in extensions and
 ammendments is going to be started in 1998.

 Purpose

 This procedure is intended to resolve conflicts relating to RIPE NCC
 services in a timely and professional manner based on professional
 expertise and without involvement of the courts. As such it is part
 of the process of industry self regulation.

 Scope and Applicability

 It is also applicable to service related conflicts between
 contribtors and the RIPE NCC. This procedure is also applicable to
 conflicts between RIPE NCC contributors about issues directly related
 to RIPE NCC services particularly address space registration
 services. The contributors and the RIPE NCC agree to use this
 procedure to solve such conflicts.

 Principles

 The arbitration process shall be expeditious, professional and
 impartial. Each party chooses an arbiter from a pool approved by the
 contributors. Two arbiters choose a third to form a three person
 arbitration panel.

 Arbiter Pool

 Arbiters shall be persons known and respected by the RIPE
 community. They shall have good knowledge of the Internet
 environment. The pool should reflect as broad a spectrum of
 contributors as possible. Arbiters will be named by the RIPE NCC
 Executive Committe. They will be in function immediately after the
 nomination. The arbiters have to be approved at the first GA meeting
 after their nomination. The RIPE NCC Executive shall strive to ensure
 that at any time the poool of arbiters will consist of at least 6
 persons. If there are less than 4 arbiters in the pool, parties may
 choose any individual willing to serve as an arbiter. Arbiters having
 a direct conflict of interest in a particular arbitration procedure
 will exclude themselves as early as possible in the
 procedure. Arbiters cannot be employed by or otherwise be directly
 associated whith a party to the conflict at hand. Should a conflict
 of interest become apparent at a late stage in the arbitration
 process the arbiter concerned has to immediately inform the parties
 to the conflict and the other arbiters in