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

Fri Oct 10 12:43:14 UTC 2025

When you sign the service agreement to obtain resources in any RIR, you accept to be bind to the policy manual which is a “live law”, it gets updated at any time  and changes apply to all. Otherwise, it will be useless to have a PDP to update the policy manual. So clearly yes to your point 1 and 2.

If there was a right to leasing (which was not the case), and policy change to avoid that, it can be enforced, also in the other way around.

There is not way, following the PDP, we can do a “reassessment” of the PDWG opinion, and you also know that it will be difficult to have everyone agreeing. That why the decisions are based in consensus not voting, and consensus has been already determined by the chairs.

Delaying the decision for the ratification is a very ugly manipulation of the process because then it means the time expires and the policies are enforced back to the list. This will mean we can’t trust on the new board, which will be a very bad situation.

Regards,
Jordi

@jordipalet

> El 10 oct 2025, a las 3:12, Jaco Kroon <jaco at uls.co.za> escribió:
> 
> Hi Raymond,
> 
> Jordi is right in that once policies have been passed to the board it's not really trivial for them to push it back to the PDP, and Jordi is also right in that "what gives them the right?" (which is what I paraphrased from his writing).  That's a very valid question.
> 
> I would personally rather have the board be on the side of caution, and send everything back to the chairs to revalidate, as new inputs from the last couple of years may very well result in a different impact assessment.
> 
> I do also think that going forward we need to have a legal assessment on all new policies too - even if (in my made up estimation) the far bulk of policies will not have legal implications, however, contracts may be impacted by policies.  Specifically, some of the sticky points that came up in discussion:
> 
> 1.  Can rule/policy changes be enforced retroactively?
> 2.  If a contract specifically states you're allowed to do xyz, does that preclude everything else, or is only what is specifically precluded contractually precluded?
> 
> To make this even more sticky, let's say that a new policy takes away a right you previously had (implied or otherwise, for example, the topic of whether you're allowed to lease/sell/broker Afrinic IPv4 space, which is hotly debated with some saying you're allowed to and some saying you're not - I have my opinions on this but that's orthogonal to discussion I'm trying to have so please treat it as an example and not the topic), is that enforceable?
> 
> What if a new policy/rule gives you a new right you didn't have previously?
> 
> Clearly there are potentially legal implications here that can (and plainly has) negatively impacted the company (Afrinic).  And hopefully it's clear that the answers are not clear cut black and white, even though we'd like them to be.
> 
> I think given the above a pause is in order to allow a re-assessment of all policies that has been submitted to board for ratification.
> 
> I would also like to know if there is a list of such policies, and where it can be found, or if one of the staff members are possibly in a position to provide such a list, along with the wording impact on the CPM and the impact assessments that were provided.
> 
> This should allow the PDWG to quickly state "we're OK with these proceeding, we'd like these back" etc ... assuming no one points out a policy issue with what I'm proposing.
> 
> Kind regards,
> Jaco
> 
> On 2025/10/10 10:43, Raymond Mamattah wrote:
>> Great discussions!
>> 
>> My one cent is that due to the impasse we have had, which is due partly to AFRINIC's own by-laws/policies, I think the Board would have to look critically and with multiple checks before ratifying any policy.
>> 
>> I also think we should not push for a policy that's not already passed to be hurriedly ratified. Ideally such policies should go through "public comments" for critical checks before being passed on for ratification. 
>> 
>> Care must be taken so we don't have a "stone-around our neck to make us easily sink" again. 
>> 
>> Regards, 
>> 
>> ---
>> Raymond Mamattah
>> Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭
>> 
>> On Fri, 10 Oct 2025, 08:10 Jaco Kroon, <jaco at uls.co.za <mailto:jaco at uls.co.za>> wrote:
>>> Hi Jordi,
>>> 
>>> I fully agree with what you say here.
>>> 
>>> There are however pending disputes regarding legitimacy of a couple of members who could use the specific policy to sidestep the issue.  The policy needs to be adjusted to ensure that only members who's not only in good standing, but who is fully compliant with existing policies and where there are no ongoing disputes/court cases etc ... are allowed to transfer out.
>>> 
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Jaco 
>>> 
>>> On 2025/10/09 17:10, jordi.palet--- via RPD wrote:
>>>> I don’t think membership status has anything to do with PDP.
>>>> 
>>>> Ideally PDP is contributed by many members actively participating, but I think this is not the case (not only in Afrinic, also in general in other RIRs).
>>>> 
>>>> Even if I personally disagree with the transfer policy that got consensus declared, I think it should be ratified immediately, because implementation takes many months (as experienced by other RIRs). In that period, we still have the chance to improve it, if the community believe that needs to be done. Then small implementation changes can often be done very quickly.
>>>> 
>>>> This is the same for any policy that reached consensus, even for the complete policy manual. It is a “live law”, the community has the chance to*always* change or improve things. What it will be useless and long time consuming is when something that reached consensus (and had a positive impact analisys) is returned to the list to re-start again the full process. Again, if something can be improved, let’s do it based on the already approved text, not from scracth.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Jordi
>>>> 
>>>> @jordipalet
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> El 9 oct 2025, a las 6:42, Jaco Kroon <jaco at uls.co.za> <mailto:jaco at uls.co.za> escribió:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>> 
>>>>> That policy specifically may be one we may want to hold off until current membership status has been sorted out first.  Or at least the policy should be amended to compensate for what we've learned in the last five years.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Kind regards,
>>>>> Jaco
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 2025/10/09 02:21, Emmanuel Vitus wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Good to see the list active again. Hopefully we can keep the energy focused this time and not fall back into the long circular debates we had in the past.
>>>>>> It could help to have a simple matrix showing which proposals can be ratified quickly with little or no cost and which ones may need more time or legal review. A timeline would also be useful to follow progress taking into account the Board comments and the steps before ratification.
>>>>>> The transfer policy should move forward as soon as possible, my 2cents.
>>>>>> Cheers! 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> - Emmanuel
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Le jeu. 9 oct. 2025 à 00:18, jordi.palet--- via RPD <rpd at afrinic.net <mailto:rpd at afrinic.net>> a écrit :
>>>>>>> Hi Caleb,
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> The proposals that I refer:
>>>>>>> 1) Already reached consensus.
>>>>>>> 2) Already were sent to the board with the relevant reports.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> So from that perspective, with “basically administrative” I mean that there is not “a lot of other” work to be done in the proposals. Of course, the board should make sure that the proposals aren’t against the company, but the legal implications, operational feasibility, alignment with the bylaws, etc., was already done because all this is part of the analysis impact that was prepared *before* declaring consensus. This is just the way the PDP works, so we aren’t changing anything.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Saludos,
>>>>>>> Jordi
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> @jordipalet
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> El 8 oct 2025, a las 18:07, Caleb Ogundele <muyiwacaleb at gmail.com <mailto:muyiwacaleb at gmail.com>> escribió:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Hi Jordi and All,
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I'm happy this list is becoming more active, and it is a good thing. 
>>>>>>>> Responding to @Jordi, I must respectfully differ with Jordi on point one. While I share the desire to see pending proposals move forward, I don't believe board ratification should be characterized as "basically an administrative task that should not take too much time."
>>>>>>>> Board ratification is a critical governance checkpoint where proposals are reviewed for legal implications, operational feasibility, and alignment with AFRINIC's mission and bylaws. Given that we're emerging from three years of limited functionality as a community, I believe the Community and the Board deserve adequate time to properly review and ratify proposals, especially those that may have significant operational or financial implications for AFRINIC and its members. Times have changed in the last three years and community members have different views on certain policies. Rushing this process could lead to oversights that create problems down the line. Quality should take precedence over speed. 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Caleb Ogundele
>>>>>>>> Speaking for myself as a community member
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On Wed, Oct 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM jordi.palet--- via RPD <rpd at afrinic.net <mailto:rpd at afrinic.net>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> HI Seun, all,
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Fully agree with your view. I will add 2 more points:
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 1) There are several policy proposals that reached consensus and are “paused” just waiting for the board ratification. I understand the board will be very busy, but the ratification is basically an administrative task that should not take too much time. So please, consider doing so ASAP, so the implementation can also be initiated, as I think in some cases it may take long time.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 2) Some of use may need to plan ahead, and buy our flights as early as possible (too close to the meeting become extremely expensive when traveling from abroad) for the next PPM, so it will be good to announce firm dates and location as soon as possible.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Those that have policy proposals still under discussion really need to have a status summary and specially understand if the actual co-chairs will continue as suggested, so we can restart our work and encourage discussions in the community.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Finally, I don’t think we need a “complete modernization of the policy manual”, but instead concentrate in review the existing discussion and decide if we need to focus on any new topic at the time being.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Tks!
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Saludos,
>>>>>>>>> Jordi
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> @jordipalet
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> El 8 oct 2025, a las 17:02, Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com <mailto:seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>> escribió:
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Hello Ben, RPD 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> It's good that this discussion is starting up. I don't think anything revolutionary with the rpd needs to happen from the board level at this time. The rpd itself should evolve through policies and while the board indeed has the ability to write a policy when required and in certain circumstances i do think that it isn't necessary at this time. I would suggest the following:
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 1. Current Co-Chairs continue in their role towards the next Public Policy Meeting (PPM) and they should coordinate on the things Sami mentioned with regards to authors representing their proposal and new proposals as applicable.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 2. We usually hold 2 PPMs every year 1 during the AIS and another at the second AFRINIC pubic meeting in the year, it will be good for the Board to provide the rpd with some information on how soon that can happen.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 3. With the recent board election, staff does have significant experience on conducting credible and verifiable election. The Board should leverage on that to organise election of Co-Chairs at the next ppm inline with the CPM. The 2 seats should be filled in a staggered manner
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Regards
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> ----
>>>>>>>>>> Sent from my mobile
>>>>>>>>>> kindly excuse typos
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, 8 Oct 2025, 6:00 pm Ben Roberts - AfriNIC via RPD, <rpd at afrinic.net <mailto:rpd at afrinic.net>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Sami,
>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks for your mail and we appreciate your contributions to PWDG to date and are happy to see you are keen to start it up again. I am replying as a community member, though I am also a board member of AfriNIC. 
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> I feel that as we restart the PWDG process, what is absolutely key is that we get much more diversity in that process. My question back to you is to ask, how do we invigorate the process to involve many more key experts in the digital economy of Africa?
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Kind regards
>>>>>>>>>>> Ben
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 6 Oct 2025, at 08:08, Sami Salih via Board <board at afrinic.net <mailto:board at afrinic.net>> 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 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
>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>> Board mailing list -- board at afrinic.net <mailto:board at afrinic.net>
>>>>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to board-leave at afrinic.net <mailto:board-leave at afrinic.net>
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>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> **********************************************
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>>>>>>>>> 
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>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Caleb Ogundele
>>>>>>>> Email: muyiwacaleb at gmail.com <mailto:muyiwacaleb at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> **********************************************
>>>>>>> IPv4 is over
>>>>>>> Are you ready for the new Internet ?
>>>>>>> http://www.theipv6company.com <http://www.theipv6company.com/>
>>>>>>> The IPv6 Company
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> This electronic message contains information which may be privileged or confidential. The information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s) named above and further non-explicilty authorized disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information, even if partially, including attached files, is strictly prohibited and will be considered a criminal offense. If you are not the intended recipient be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information, even if partially, including attached files, is strictly prohibited, will be considered a criminal offense, so you must reply to the original sender to inform about this communication and delete it.
>>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>>> This electronic message contains information which may be privileged or confidential. The information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s) named above and further non-explicilty authorized disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information, even if partially, including attached files, is strictly prohibited and will be considered a criminal offense. If you are not the intended recipient be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information, even if partially, including attached files, is strictly prohibited, will be considered a criminal offense, so you must reply to the original sender to inform about this communication and delete it.
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