[rpd] Call for Action: Modernizing the AFRINIC Policy Manual

[Sami Salih]

Dear PDWG Community,

I hope this message finds you well.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you all on the successful election of the AFRINIC Board and the resumption of its proper functioning. This milestone marks an important step toward restoring stability, trust, and continuity in AFRINIC’s role as the Regional Internet Registry for Africa. With governance now back on track, it is the right moment to resume the Policy Development Process (PDP) and address the policy gaps that have accumulated during the past three years of interruption.

As you are aware, over the past three years AFRINIC has gone through a period of limited functionality, and the Policy Development Process (PDP) has been effectively paused. During this time, the global Internet number community has continued to evolve, with significant policy updates taking place across the other RIRs. This has created a widening gap between AFRINIC’s Consolidated Policy Manual (CPM) and those of our sister RIRs.

In order to restore the momentum of policy development in our region and to ensure that AFRINIC’s policy environment remains relevant, consistent, and globally aligned, I would like to highlight the following areas where action is needed:

Previous PDWG Co-Chairs
While their terms have now ended, we request that the most recent PDWG Co-Chairs prepare a short report summarizing the last set of policy proposals that were under discussion before the process stalled. We further encourage the original authors of those drafts to resubmit them for renewed community review, or alternatively, invite any community member to take initiative to re-submit and champion them.

AFRINIC Board
We call on the Board to formally publish a community call for modernizing the AFRINIC Policy Manual. This would include identifying and prioritizing areas where policy alignment with other RIRs is needed (e.g., IPv4 transfer frameworks, IPv6 allocation criteria, RPKI adoption, Whois/privacy reforms, and membership/resource governance models). Such a call would help set a clear direction and provide legitimacy to the process of catching up with global best practices.

PDWG Community
Most importantly, we urge all community members to actively re-engage in the PDP by discussing any submitted proposals, providing constructive feedback, and enriching the drafts with insights drawn from operational experience. The strength of AFRINIC’s PDP has always been rooted in the diversity and expertise of its community, and your participation will be crucial in shaping the future of Internet number resource management in our region.

This is a collective responsibility, and now is the right moment to re-energize our PDP and demonstrate the resilience of the AFRINIC community.

With Regards.

Sami Salih, PhD (ICT), PMP®
Assistant Professor, Sudan University of Science and Technology
Tel: (249) 122045707
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