The Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) participated actively in ICANN85, held in Mumbai, India, from 7 to 12 March 2026.
The ASO AC engaged with the wider ICANN community through a series of joint sessions with the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), the At‑Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC), the ISPCP Constituency, and the ICANN Board. The ASO AC also held two public sessions to update the community on progress towards version 3 of the RIR Governance Document.
During the week, the ASO AC clarified the intent of the RIR Governance Document, listened to community feedback, and outlined next steps on the development of version 3 of the document. Further detail on the ASO AC’s participation at ICANN 85 is available in this report.
Key themes emerging from ICANN 85
Several recurring themes emerged across the week’s discussions:
- Recognition of a new RIR is no longer the only focus (as compared to ICP-2). The revised framework addresses the ongoing responsibilities of an RIR after recognition and introduces the concept of derecognition if an RIR can no longer meet its obligations.
- The Document aims to make previously implicit expectations explicit. Requirements that were understood to continue after recognition are now more clearly spelled out.
- Implementation remains a separate process. The text is intended to define principles and governance expectations, while operational details will be developed as Implementation Procedures by the RIRs and ICANN.
- Related to the above, resourcing and cost will be important. Several comments pointed to the practical challenge of funding and scoping implementation work.
- Accountability and continuity are central concerns. Discussion highlighted audits, backup systems, and mechanisms to protect service continuity for resource holders and operators.
- Uniformity matters, but so does flexibility. Participants acknowledged regional differences while also noting the need for globally consistent implementation.
- Role clarity matters. Some exchanges showed the importance of distinguishing between issues for the ASO AC, matters for individual RIRs, and broader strategic questions for the NRO.
Following the joint session with the GAC, the ASO AC also provided a written response addressing the questions raised, reinforcing the multistakeholder nature of the process and clarifying how governance principles and implementation work are expected to evolve.
Next steps
The ASO AC will continue refining the revised RIR Governance Document, with the aim of publishing and sharing version 3 with the RIR and ICANN communities in Q3–Q4 2026. Work will now focus on:
- Publishing a clear milestone timeline.
- Clarifying which elements belong in the RIR Governance Document and which should be addressed through the Implementation Procedures.
The ASO AC thanked the community for its active engagement and valuable contributions.
Last modified on 28/04/2026