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

[Benson Muite]

On Mon, Oct 6, 2025, at 8:45 AM, Sami Salih wrote:
> 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

Due to the choice of voting platform, we do not know if the results
announced were what was voted for by eligible Afrinic members. For
electronic voting, countries such as Switzerland enforce by law that the
voting platform is free and open source software to give high
confidence in the integrity of announced results.  The efforts to revive
Afrinic are great, but a good first step is to acknowledge shortcomings
so that they can be fixed if possible.

>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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