Dear all,
Thank you for the thoughtful and engaging responses to my recent article on CircleID. I really appreciate how the conversation has expanded into broader questions about the future of Internet governance, and I’m encouraged by the range of perspectives being shared.
Karl, your recollections of those early conversations with Jon Postel are incredibly valuable—not just as historical insight but as a reminder of the flexibility and foresight built into the original model. The idea that regional registries were meant to evolve alongside network architecture seems more relevant than ever. And yet, how that evolution should happen—technically, institutionally, and politically—remains a key point for discussion.
Carlton’s proposal for a “supra-regional registry layer” raises fascinating questions. With the rise of global satellite constellations and other technologies blurring the relevance of geographic boundaries, is it time to reimagine the RIR model entirely? Or can reforms within the existing framework suffice? I don’t have a definitive answer, but it’s a conversation worth having.
Seun’s comments bring us back to the foundational logic of needs-based allocation and the trust that has historically underpinned the system. But as resource scarcity meets commercial and political pressures, I wonder whether that trust-based approach is still tenable. If we agree that enforcement capacity is lacking, how do we strengthen it without compromising the openness of the system?
Barrack’s point about the need for continued research—especially into the non-technical and geopolitical dimensions of governance—is one I strongly agree with. But here too, there’s room for debate: should ICANN and the RIRs remain narrowly focused on technical coordination, or is it time for them to engage more directly with questions of power, equity, and legitimacy?
Glenn’s reference to the IPv4 block controversy involving Lu Heng is a good reminder that this is not a new conversation.
I hope this exchange continues to surface the tensions, trade-offs, and possibilities that any serious review of the RIR system must confront. If nothing else, AFRINIC’s current crisis has opened up space for these kinds of critical reflections—something we should all welcome, even when we disagree.
Thank you again to everyone who has contributed. I look forward to learning more from this evolving discussion.
Cheers,
Pari Esfandiari
Interesting piece of History Karl. The current challenge will certainly cause us to review and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses in so far as governance of the Internet Ecosystem and the Multistakeholder model are concerned. There is clearly need for continued research on the non technical front if i may attempt to borrow Seuns comments (" Things like Starlink and its future competitors will greatly change how the pieces of the Internet connect with one another; that ought to trigger a re-evaluation of the existing RIR operators and their respective bailiwicks. ")Best RegardsOn Sat, Jul 19, 2025 at 1:03 AM Karl Auerbach via At-Large <at-large@icann.org> wrote:_______________________________________________My last phone conversation with Jon Postel was on the subject or the regional IP address registries (at that time more of an idea than a well formed structure of governance and allocation.)
We both recognized that Internet routing protocols (and routers) were starting to be burdened by the weight of many individual address prefixes. CIDR was the answer. But that raised the issue of how to driving address location in a way that created good CIDR aggregation in conformity with the physical distribution of ASNs and the actual physical long-haul routing of the net.
At that time, there were a few major clumps of routing; those made sense as the major places to establish IP address registries. These were North America, Asia (and Pacific), Europe. Latin America and, especially, Africa were, at that time, largely routing/connectivity bumps on the side of North America. (We saw this with particular force on Sept 11, 2001 when the shutdown of routing-points in New York City caused significant parts of Africa to fall off of the Internet.)
Jon and I recognized that the routing structure of the net would evolve and change, and that, correspondingly, the address registry system should be able to evolve and change to best address efficient CIDR aggregation.
We explicitly recognized that this could mean the establishment of new RIRs and the splitting and coalescing of existing RIRs.
(It also meant that perhaps that address block recapture and re-allocation to promote better aggregation would be appropriate, but we did not go far discussing how that could be done without causing large disruptions.)
All of this is to say that the creation of, and continued existence, of Afrinic is perhaps less mandated less by technical concerns and more by political recognition of national and regional pride.
In the intervening decades Africa has obtained vastly more diverse connectivity; Africa no longer dangles (internet-wise) off of New York.
But we should recognize that the concerns that Jon and I had about regional registries remains as valid today as it did in the late 1990's. Nor do those concerns about good address block aggregation diminish with the use of IPv6 rather than IPv4.
Things like Starlink and its future competitors will greatly change how the pieces of the Internet connect with one another; that ought to trigger a re-evaluation of the existing RIR operators and their respective bailiwicks.
--karl--
On 7/18/25 4:51 AM, Pari Esfandiari via At-Large wrote:
Dear Oliver and all,
I wanted to share my latest article, just published on CircleID: “AFRINIC’s Election Crisis Exposes Why RIR Oversight Must Evolve.” As ICANN reviews its RIR governance framework, recent events at AFRINIC underscore why this effort cannot remain a purely technical exercise. From historical misalignments to geopolitical tensions, the risks we face are no longer hypothetical—and the consequences are global.
Your thoughts and feedback are welcome.
Cheers,
Pari Esfandiari
On Wed, Jul 16, 2025 at 8:13 AM hadia Elminiawi via At-Large <at-large@icann.org> wrote:
Thank you Olivier for sharing this important information.
Kind regardsHadia Elminiawi
_______________________________________________On Tue, 15 Jul 2025 at 16:49, Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond via At-Large <at-large@icann.org> wrote:
FYI_______________________________________________
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [AfrIPv6-Discuss] Organisation of New AFRINIC Board Elections by 30 September 2025 Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:44:36 +0000 From: comms--- via AfrIPv6-Discuss <afripv6-discuss@afrinic.net> Reply-To: comms@afrinic.net <comms@afrinic.net>, IPv6 in Africa Discussions <afripv6-discuss@afrinic.net> To: IPv6 in Africa <afripv6-discuss@afrinic.net>
Apologies for cross-posting
Dear Valued Members and the Internet Community,
During the elections held on 23 June 2025, suspicions of irregularities were raised, particularly regarding the use of Powers of Attorney by some voters. Complaints were submitted to the relevant authorities by aggrieved parties, and the Police is investigating the matter.
In the interest of transparency and fairness and given the absence of final conclusions from the ongoing investigation, I made the decision to annul the results of these elections. Therefore, I am currently unable to formally report on the extent of the identified irregularities.
Nevertheless, I reported the matter to the Supreme Court of Mauritius and requested an extension of my mandate as Receiver to organize new elections. This request was granted. These elections must now be held no later than 30 September 2025.
In this context, and to ensure a more inclusive electoral process, I invite all stakeholders of the Internet community to submit the names of credible and trustworthy individuals to serve on the Nominations Committee (NomCom), which will be responsible for overseeing the candidate selection process. The responsibilities of the Nom Com are outlined here:
a) use its best effort towards ensuring that a satisfactory number of individuals from the African internet community stand as candidate for the election of the directors of AFRINIC; and
b) have general responsibility for, and shall supervise the conduct of the polls by the election Committee throughout the voting period.
c) In the discharge of its function above, the Nom Com:
i. shall call for candidates for elections held by AFRINIC;
ii. prescribe criteria and qualifications for eligibility to stand as candidate for elections held by AFRINIC;
iii. may interview candidates prior to finalising the list of candidature; and
d) Shall finalise the list of candidates for any election held by AFRINIC.
Deadline for submission: 17 July 2025
Please send your proposals to the following email address: nomcomselection@afrinic.net
The NomCom will be formed by selecting one representative from each region. This measure helps protect the integrity of the election and ensures neutrality, addressing any concerns of regional bias or conflict of interest.
Finally, to prevent any disputes similar to those previously observed, neither Powers of Attorney nor proxies will be accepted for the upcoming elections. The elections will be conducted entirely online, allowing all eligible voting members to exercise their rights from wherever they are.
Thank you for your cooperation and your commitment to AFRINIC’s renewal and stability.
Gowtamsingh DABEE
Receiver
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Pari EsfandiariPresidentPario - Architects of IdeasTel: +1-202-735-1415 (Office): +1-310-435-0888 (Cell): +44-731-210-4049 (Cell)
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