Session 1: Introductions

The Policy Discussion session began at 11:00 (UTC+1). Seun Ojedeji, AFRINIC's Policy Development Working Group (PDWG) co-Chair, welcomed everyone to the session. Seun provided an agenda overview and an introduction to the AFRINIC Policy Development Process. Seun also announced the resignation of Barry Macharia. The community voted by show of hands to nominate Sami Salih as the new PDWG co-Chair.

After Seun's introduction, AFRINIC’s Policy Liaison Manager, Ernest Byaruhanga, gave a report on the recently ratified and implemented policies since the last meeting, AFRINIC-22. Representatives from the other RIRs then gave reports on policies that had been implemented and policy proposals that are currently under discussion in their respective regions.

Slides

• AFRINIC PDP,
• Implemented policies in the AFRINIC region
• Implemented policies in other regions
• RIPE NCC Policies
• APNIC Policies
• ARIN Policies

Session 2: Policy Proposal: Out-Of-Region Use of AFRINIC Internet Number Resources

After lunch, the session  kicked off with Douglas Onyango, the author of the policy proposal Out-Of-Region Use of AFRINIC Internet Number Resources (AFPUB-2014-GEN-002-DRAFT-03), giving an overview of the proposal. There was no consensus to adopt this policy proposal. Highlights of the discussions included:

• Out of Region Use has not been properly defined in the proposal and presents ambiguity which would need to be interpreted by AFRINIC staff.
• The proposal states that up to 40% of a member's space could be out of region but this is not acceptable to the community, many of whom beleive that nothing should be used out of region.
• The policy proposal should be tailored to protect Africa’s Internet resources from plunder from outside the region.

Policy Proposal:  Number Resources Transfer Policy Proposal

The second policy proposal was then discussed: Number Resources Transfer Policy Proposal (AFPUB-2015-GEN-001-DRAFT-01) presented by Mark Elkins.

Consensus was not reached on how to move forward with this proposal. Below are some key points discussed during this policy discussion session.

• AFRINIC's IPv4 pool will soon be depleted, and African companies may need IPv4 space from outside of Africa to continue operating, hence validating the need for the transfer policy.
• Other RIRs have no space to transfer to operators in the AFRINIC region even if they  were in need, so the policy proposal favours other regions more than it gives Africa an advantage.
• The community noted that this policy proposal should be implemented after AFRINIC's IPv4 pool is depleted.

Slides

• Number Resources Transfer Policy Proposal
• Out-Of-Region Use of AFRINIC Internet Number Resources

Session 3: Policy Implementation Experience Report

The afternoon session included the Policy Implementation Experience Report by AFRINIC's Registration Services Manager Madhvi Gokhool and a discussion on Determining consensus during PDP Sessions by Co-Chair SeunOjedeji. The session closed with an open-mic session.  

Slides:

• Policy Implementation Experience Report

What's in store for Day 6, Thursday 3 December 

• AFRINIC Services Updates
• ICANN Africa Strategy presentation
• Special General Members Meeting (SGMM)
  
• Gala Dinner

Click here to see the agenda

The Opening Ceremony of AFRINIC-23 took place on 2 December. Meeting delegates packed into the main room, while many more logged into the remote participation facility, to see HEM Hellot Matson Mampouya, Congo's Minister of  Post and Telecommunications, officially declare the AFRINIC-23 Meeting open. In his welcoming address, HEM said that the Internet is empowering people to face new challenges in the world. The Minister also shared the key ICT initiatives and projects for the Republic of Congo. 

Yves Castanou, Director General of AFRINIC-23's Co-Host ARPCE, welcomed the delegates and noted the AFRINIC-23 trainings have greatly contributed to the knowledge and educatoin of the local IT professionals of Congo.

Chair of the AFRINIC Board of Directors Sunday Folayan spoke about AFRINIC and its key milestones and the evolution of the global Internet and why Africa needs to make sure its voice is heard. AFRINIC CEO, Alan Barrett, mentioned the issue of IPv4 exhaustion and the need for IPv6 deployment in the region in his welcome note.