[rpd] [Last Call] Draft Policy Proposal - Hierarchical Names for New AS-SETs (AFPUB-2026-ASN-001-DRAFT02)

[Gugu Dhlamini]

Hi All,

Further to my OBJECTION of this POLICY PROPOSAL:

I agree with Nonhlanhla's point regarding mandate laundering and the
gradual expansion of institutional authority.

My concern is that this discussion is not really about hierarchical names.
It is about a much broader pattern. We increasingly justify new policy by
saying it helps the registry fulfil its role, while the role itself is
continuously expanded through the accumulation of policies. That creates a
circular process in which policy becomes the justification for more policy.

The registry's original technical purpose is relatively narrow: maintain
uniqueness, preserve accurate records, support interoperability, and
provide a reliable registry service. Those are functions that the Internet
genuinely requires.

The difficulty begins when every new proposal is treated as another
legitimate extension of the registry's mandate simply because it has passed
through the PDP. At that point, the process itself begins manufacturing
authority. Participation becomes confused with authorization, and
procedural consensus gradually becomes institutional power.

That is why I believe Nonhlanhla's observation about mandate laundering is
important.

A policy process should not become a mechanism through which an
administrative body continually enlarges its own scope. Otherwise there is
no meaningful limiting principle. Every proposal can simply be described as
helping the registry perform its role, while the definition of that role
quietly expands over time.

The better question is much simpler.

What technical invariant requires this policy?

Does it preserve uniqueness?

Does it improve registry accuracy?

Does it protect interoperability?

Does it strengthen operational continuity?

If the answer is no, then we should be cautious about converting
operational preferences into registry policy.

This is also why I believe decentralisation is the longer-term direction we
should be discussing.

A resilient Internet should minimise dependence on institutional
discretion. Coordination should remain thin, while operational decisions
remain with operators. The registry should record reality, not increasingly
define it. The more authority accumulates within a single administrative
layer, the greater the temptation to use policy as a governance mechanism
rather than as a narrow technical tool.

The Internet became successful because it minimised the amount of central
authority required for independent networks to interoperate. We should be
careful not to move in the opposite direction by steadily expanding
registry governance into areas where technical necessity has not been
demonstrated.

Regards,
Gugu

On Fri, 17 Jul 2026, 6:18 pm Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com> wrote:

> I do support this proposal
>
> Regards
>
> On Thu, 16 Jul 2026 at 17:10, Hytham El-Nakhal <hytham at tra.gov.eg> wrote:
>
>> Dear PDWG,
>>
>>
>> The Policy Development Working Group (PDWG) Chairs have initiated a Last
>> Call for this proposal, following rough consensus at the AFRINIC-37 Public
>> Policy Meeting held in hybrid format in Nairobi, Kenya on 24 June 2026.
>>
>>   *   Proposal Name: Hierarchical Names for New AS-SETs
>>
>>   *   Proposal ID: AFPUB-2026-ASN-001-DRAFT02
>>
>>   *   Proposal URL:
>> https://www.afrinic.net/afpub-2026-asn-001-draft02.html
>>
>> Last Call closes on: July 31, 2026, at 23:59 UTC.
>>
>>
>> Please note the staff observation regarding implementation constraints:
>> due to the current prioritization of the MyAFRINIC v2 deployment, physical
>> database implementation of this policy will be scheduled once the MyAFRINIC
>> v2 deployment is concluded.
>>
>>
>> As always, we kindly request that all participants adhere to the AFRINIC
>> Code of Conduct<https://www.afrinic.net/code> to maintain a respectful
>> and professional environment on the mailing list.
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>>
>> Haitham el Nakhal
>>
>> AFRINIC PDWG Co-Chair
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> RPD at afrinic.net
>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>>
>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> *Seun Ojedeji,*
>
> Bringing another down does not take you up - think about your action!
>
>
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