Policy Development

APNIC Policies are the rules that control the way IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers are distributed and registered in the Asia Pacific. The procedures for discussing and deciding proposed changes to APNIC policies are called the Policy Development Process (usually referred to as the PDP).

Policies are decided by the APNIC membership and the broader Internet community.

APNIC staff support the PDP by providing administrative services to the Policy SIG, drafting policy wording, and managing the implementation of policy changes.

Most of the policy development activity takes place on the Policy SIG mailing list. Proposed changes to policy are discussed over email. Two times each year the SIG holds a face-to-face Open Policy Meeting to decide the outcomes by trying to reach consensus on the policy changes proposed.

The policy development process is explained here. You can also refer to the official APNIC Policy Development Process policy.

Policy process values

Open
  • Anyone can propose policies
  • Everyone can discuss policy proposals
Transparent
  • Archives of all policy discussions and decisions are available publicly
Bottom-up
  • The community drives policy development

APNIC keeps a public record of all policy discussions and decisions. This transparency means you can always understand why policies were decided. You will find the results of all policy discussions in Policy Proposals.

The Policy Cycle

Policy Development Process