How to participate in policy discussions
Policy Development @ APNIC Meetings
Read more about policy proposals that are currently under discussion
Check out discussions on the Policy SIG mailing list
Policy Discussions @ APNIC Meetings
- The SIG Chair invites participants to comment on a proposal which has been submitted to the Secretariat for editing and posted on the mailing list.
The Chair encourages discussion about both the pros and cons of the proposal. This happens both on the mailing list and at the SIG session during the APNIC Meeting.
- If there is little or no comment for or against the proposal, the Chair needs to assess the level of interest in the proposal
Perhaps the community does not believe a problem exists, or, alternatively, the participants are hesitant to begin discussion. The Chair may ask for a show of hands indicating:
- Those for the proposal
- Those against the proposal (or individual elements of the proposal)
- Those who have no opinion on the proposal
The show of hands is not a vote. It is a way of broadly measuring opinion. If the participants indicate they have no opinion, the Chair and the proponent should work to stimulate discussion about the proposal. If the participants do not believe the problem the proposal attempts to resolve is real or significant, the Chair should ask the proponent to reconsider the need for the proposal.
- If all comments are in favour of the proposal and there are no objections, the Chair can declare consensus
- If there are objections, the Chair can ask those who object to decide if their objections are:
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Minor objections
If the proposal goes forward, objectors believe some problems may occur for some participants in the group.
The participants should work together to see if the proposal can be modified to overcome these minor objections. However, it is not always possible to overcome these objections. If this is the case, the Chair should ask the objectors if they are prepared to acknowledge that the overall advantages of the proposal outweigh their objections and are willing to stand aside.
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Major objections
If the proposal goes forward, the objectors believe major problems will occur for parts of the community; therefore, the proposal cannot be adopted in its current format.
The Chair should devote sufficient time for participants to discuss ways to overcome major objections. As in case of minor objections, participants, including the proponent, should work together to develop solutions that overcome the objections.
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Minor objections
Policy discussion etiquette
APNIC policy discussions involve a broad range of stakeholders, all of whom share the similar interest of wanting to improve the Internet and bring increased fairness and equity to the policies that guide the distribution of Internet number resources. In the Asia Pacific, these stakeholders come from a range of cultures and speak a variety of languages. For this reason, it's important to observe some of the basic courtesies when participating in Policy SIG discussions.
APNIC uses real-time stenographic transcription to provide a record of the proceedings, to facilitate remote participation, and to aid the understanding of the participants in the room as discussion is projected on the monitors.
- Each time you speak at the microphone, state your name and organization. This allows the stenographers to record who is speaking.
- Speak slowly and in plain English. Many of the participants are not native English speakers.
- Keep in mind the limited time and try to make your comments as relevant as possible. Policy discussion can become long-winded and unproductive if debate strays from the content of the proposals.
- Keep the discussion friendly, fair, and on-topic. Maintaining professionalism and being polite and considerate, especially toward the less outspoken participants, make for a productive and enjoyable policy discussion.
