ICP-2 Review

Background

In October 2023, the Number Resource Organization Executive Council (NRO EC) tasked the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC), acting as the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC), with managing the review and update of the Internet Coordination Policy 2: Criteria for Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries (ICP-2).

The proposed updates focus on:

• Expanding governance, ecosystem, and operational criteria
• Clarifying the lifecycle of RIR recognition and responsibilities
• Defining principles for potential RIR derecognition if obligations are not met

Why is it important?

First developed in 2001, the ICP-2 defines the criteria for establishing and recognizing RIRs. It remains a vital framework for maintaining the overall health and governance of the Internet. The ICP-2 review and revision aims to uphold the stability and self-governance of the Internet numbers registry system by ensuring the document remains aligned with the principles needed to assess and recognise new RIRs in today’s evolving Internet environment.

Participate in the Consultation

The NRO NC has published a revised version of the document that aims to update ICP-2: Criteria for Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries. This updated document is titled “ASO AC Recommended RIR Governance Document” (RIR Governance Document) and can be viewed here. A consultation on the draft document will be announced soon.

How we got here

• October–December 2024
  Community feedback was collected via a public questionnaire on the draft principles.
  
• February 2025
  The NRO NC published a summary of responses and key insights from the consultation.
  
• February – April 2025
  The NRO NC developed a draft of the revised ICP-2 document, reflecting the review of the questionnaire feedback.
  
• April – May 2025
  The document: ‘Governance Document for the Recognition, Maintenance, and Derecognition of Regional Internet Registries’ was available for public comment.
  
• June - July 2025
  The NRO NC reviewed the feedback received through the consultation and published a summary of the responses. This feedback was used to inform the second draft of the Governance Document for the Recognition, Operation, and Derecognition of Regional Internet Registries’
  
• August - December 2025
  The NRO NC reviewed all feedback received from both the RIR communities and the ICANN Public Comment process on the second draft of the document during a workshop in Montevideo and discussed changes needed. Work began on outlining the changes needed for the next version
  
• January - March 2026
  The NRO NC published a status report outlining work carried out following the workshop in Montevideo. There was an in-person meeting at ICANN 85 in Mumbai to continue discussions on incorporating community feedback in the next draft. The NRO NC also welcomed on board Saul Stein, a representative of AFRINIC.
  
• April - June 2026
  The NRO NC drafted the next version of the document and published the next status report to keep the community informed about progress on issues that were being resolved. There was an in-person meeting at ICANN 86 in Seville to review the final text.
  
• July - September 2026
  The NRO NC handed over their recommended draft to the NRO EC, marking an important milestone in their work to update ICP-2. The ASO AC Recommended Draft RIR Governance Document was published, along with a redline version of the document highlighting changes and a document providing a summary of the changes and the rationale. The responsibility for completing the process now lies with the NRO Executive Council.
  
• October - December 2026
  The NRO NC will present the updated document to the RIR communities and ICANN stakeholders. The NRO EC will determine the next steps towards adoption.

For more detailed information on the process and timeline, please visit the NRO website or watch this explainer video.

How you can participate

You can share your feedback on the proposed ‘ASO AC Recommended Draft RIR Governance Document‘ on the RIPE Discussion list once the call for input is open. However, we encourage you to read the document carefully.

Please consider the following when preparing your comments:

• Please share feedback that is specific to this document. Constructive comments are highly appreciated.
• We are particularly interested in hearing your views on whether this draft addresses questions and concerns with the previous draft.

Please note, the revised document does not address the implementation of RIR criteria; comments on implementation will be considered out of scope.

Join a session

RIPE NCC Open House: RIR Governance Document

Wednesday, 22 September 2026 at 15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC)

Join the RIPE community representatives on the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC), Hervé Clément, Andrei Robachevsky and Constanze Bürger, to hear about the next phase in the effort to update ICP-2 and get an overview of the third draft "ASO AC Recommended Draft RIR Governance Document" which is intended to update ICP-2. Among other discussions, they will share a summary of the main changes between the second and third versions.

Important Dates

• 14 April 2025: Draft “RIR Governance Document” published
• 14 April 2025: Consultation on draft document opens
• 29 April 2025: RIPE NCC Open House: Updating ICP-2
• 12-16 May 2025: BoF on ICP-2 review during RIPE 90
• 27 May 2025: Consultation closes
• 9-12 June 2025: NRO NC reviews input during ICANN 83 in Prague, Czechia
• 30 July 2025: Consultation summary report published
• 28 August 2025: Second draft version of the "RIR Governance Document" published
• 28 August 2025: Second consultation opens
• 17 September 2025: RIPE NCC Open House: Second Consultation on Updating ICP-2
• 20-24 October 2025: BoF on ICP-2 during RIPE 91
• 7 November 2025: Second consultation closes
• 12-14 November 2025: NRO NC reviews input received during the second consultation at an in-person workshop in Montevideo
• 7-12 March 2026: NRO NC discusses the changes and updates during ICANN 85 in Mumbai, India
• 8-12 June 2026: NRO NC reviews updated draft during the ICANN Meeting in Seville, Spain
• 28 July 2026: The NRO NC hands over the completed draft document to the NRO EC
• 1 September 2026: The NRO NC Recommended Draft RIR Governance Document is published, along with a redline version for comparison to the second draft, and a rationale document that details the changes between version two and version three of the document.
• 22 September 2026: RIPE NCC Open House: RIR Governance Document Update