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<div>On Feb 15, 2011, at 4:12 AM, Benson Schliesser wrote:</div>
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<div><font class="Apple-style-span">...<br>
</font> After the IANA function was contracted to ICANN by the US Dept of <br>
Commerce (the current contracting agency for these tasks), the RIRs <br>
and ICANN entered into an agreement whereby the RIRs would serve the<br>
function of of ICANN's Address Supporting Organization, responsible <br>
for "global number resource policy development". </div>
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<div>Thanks for this feedback. I'm happy to report that my understanding of history is in-line with the events you have described.</div>
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<div>However, I would be interested in your comments on the current relationship between ARIN and IANA/ICANN. Specifically, I gather that the NRO has proposed a framework that was only partially acknowledged by IANA, and that IANA has asked for a legal contract
that has never materialized. Are there any actual commitments in-force? Does anything guarantee that ARIN will continue to have a role in IANA policy creation, or even recognition by IANA?</div>
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The ASO and NRO MOU's are at <a href="http://www.nro.net">www.nro.net</a>, and signed by all parties;</div>
<div>I am unaware of any requests for changes from IANA/ICANN or the NRO.</div>
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<div>FYI - RFC 2860 is also applicable, as it notes that the IAB/IESG (of IETF)</div>
<div>has significant authority in these matters, but agrees that certain technical</div>
<div>IANA tasks regarding operation of registries may be actually be performed</div>
<div>by ICANN.</div>
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<div>Regarding guarantees of the future, there are none, nor should there </div>
<div>necessarily be any such guarantees, as the system works because of </div>
<div>multiple cooperating entities (IANA/ICANN, IAB/IETF/ISOC, NRO/RIRs)</div>
<div>none of which attempt to claim autonomous authority but instead must </div>
<div>each cooperate with the others to perform appropriately and confirm its </div>
<div>value to the overall ecosystem. </div>
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<div>It might not be how others would set things up, but we have existence</div>
<div>proof in the Internet that the model is rather successful.</div>
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<div>In your proposal,<br>
you might consider some way to reconcile acknowledging ICANN/IANA's<br>
policy authority while not acknowledging the NRO/RIR policy authority <br>
without contradicting the RIRs serving under agreement as ICANN's <br>
policy body for Internet number resources. I believe that would <br>
significantly strengthen the policy proposal if that is your goal.<br>
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<div>If I understand the root of your comment, it is that: IANA has delegated responsibility* for IP number policy to the NRO. Effectively this creates a circular dependency in which the IANA is comprised of the RIRs, and the RIRs are subject to IANA, etc.</div>
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No, my point is that you indicate that the IANA/ICANN policy should be recognized,</div>
<div>that the RIR policy should not, despite the fact that the RIR policy *is* IANA/ICANN</div>
<div>policy by ICANN's own bylaws and agreements. You literally have a non-sequiter </div>
<div>embedded in the proposal, one that cannot be reconciled without deciding that there </div>
<div>is no policy that applicable, including USG/DoC/NTIA, IAB/IESG, IANA/ICANN or the</div>
<div>RIRs...</div>
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<div>FYI,</div>
<div>/John</div>
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<div>John Curran</div>
<div>President and CEO</div>
<div>ARIN</div>
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