[members-discuss] Questions about the published Draft Agenda and Supporting Documents

Kaj,

Thanks for your thoughts on the budget. They are much appreciated, and you point to several important elements regarding the “rightsizing” of the cost structure. I would like to add that the budget is a rough plan for next year that we make long before the year starts, so we will always aim to do even better.

You ask relevant questions regarding the contributions.

Internet Society & IETF 

The reasoning behind the ISOC platinum membership has been to support the IETF on an ongoing basis. In recent years, the IETF Endowment and IETF Administration LLC have been established, and we have continued the membership at the Platinum level. We also do some joint activities with ISOC.

In addition to the ISOC Platinum membership, we contribute 100K a year to the IETF Endowment for a period of 10 years following an Executive Board resolution to do so in 2016: https://www.ietf.org/endowment/ 

ICANN Contributions.

The contribution to ICANN is split into two parts totalling 823 kUSD:

650 kUSD IANA Numbering Services
173 kUSD Voluntary Contributions 

The ICANN contribution and IANA Numbering services costs are split proportionately between the RIRs, so we estimate that the RIPE NCC will pay slightly less than 40% of this. Thus, a budget figure of 320 kEUR. 
The IANA Numbering Services is a commitment we have made through the Service Level Agreement for IANA numbering services:
https://www.nro.net/sla-for-iana-numbering-services/

IANA reports their performance according to the Service Level Agreement every month: 
https://www.iana.org/performance/numbers 

The Voluntary Contribution to ICANN was put in place in the very early days of ICANN when the US Government funding of the IANA function at ISI at USC was at risk, and we have kept it ever since. Today, it is justified for ICANN's support to the Address Supporting Organisation. 

Numbers are an important part of ICANN's mission:
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#article1 

iii) Coordinates the allocation and assignment at the top-most level of Internet Protocol Numbers and Autonomous System Numbers. In service of its Mission, ICANN (A) provides registration services and open access for global number registries as requested by the Internet Engineering Task Force ("IETF") and the Regional Internet Registries ("RIRs"), and (B) facilitates the development of global number registry policies by the affected community and other related tasks as agreed with the RIRs.

All of these contributions are made to support the Regional Internet Registry system and defend the bottom-up governance of the Internet that has served us so well. However, it is good to be clear on these matters, so we will update the draft activity plan to include the relevant information.


Kind Regards,

Hans Petter Holen
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
RIPE NCC

> On 3 Nov 2023, at 08:14, Kaj Niemi <kajtzu at basen.net> wrote:
> 
> Yes, however, if we are on the outside looking at reducing costs, I do not think it is terribly unfair to go and ask questions like what will one get for the amount spent on a line item, don't you agree?
> 
> As for ISOC, the other RIRs seem to be in silver, bronze and copper categories which, I am guessing, have a lower cost than the highest category.
> 
> Similarly, if ICANN had total revenue of 163 million dollars in 2022, mostly consisting of registry and registrar revenue (gTLDs), they really do not need any voluntary financial support from someone else who could use that money better themselves (or not spend it at all). Unless of course we are wrong, and it is some kind of pay to play fee. Then one should be entitled to ask what one receives.
> 
> 🙂
> 
> 
> 
> Kaj
> From: Michele Neylon - Blacknight <michele at blacknight.com <mailto:michele at blacknight.com>>
> Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2023 19:14
> To: Kaj Niemi <kajtzu at basen.net <mailto:kajtzu at basen.net>>; Erik Bais <ebais at a2b-internet.com <mailto:ebais at a2b-internet.com>>; Hans Petter Holen <hph+announce at ripe.net <mailto:hph+announce at ripe.net>>
> Cc: members-discuss at ripe.net <mailto:members-discuss at ripe.net> <members-discuss at ripe.net <mailto:members-discuss at ripe.net>>
> Subject: Re: Questions about the published Draft Agenda and Supporting Documents
>  
> You don't often get email from michele at blacknight.com <mailto:michele at blacknight.com>. Learn why this is important <https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>	
> Kaj
>  
> ICANN and ISOC as well as some other organisations should be supported by RIPE. They might not be “perfect” but they are a large part of the reason why we are able to continue doing what we do without more regulation. At a technical level ICANN and IANA coordinate the allocation and management of names and numbers ie. IP addresses. The RIRs are not “obliged” to financially support ICANN (it’s NOT sponsorship), but they do so because they believe in the system (warts and all). The multistakeholder model of internet governance which we all benefit from is not perfect, but as long as it works and is supported then we hopefully won’t be regulated out of existence.
>  
> Regards
> 
> Michele
>  
>  
> --
> Mr Michele Neylon
> Blacknight Solutions
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