MEET THE
Number Resource Organization
Actively contributing to an open, stable and secure Internet
THE NRO AT THE IGF
Join us
Come and visit us at Nova Spektrum in Lillestrøm, Norway. We’ll be happy to answer your questions on the role we play in the Internet ecosystem and Internet governance.
Day 0 Event #161: Preparing Your Internet to Power the Digital of Tomorrow
As the global digital economy expands, Internet infrastructure must evolve to meet the increasing demands for connectivity, scalability, and security. The next generation of digital services, ranging from AI-driven applications and IoT networks to financial technology and cloud computing, requires a resilient, scalable, and secure Internet core to function efficiently. This session will explore the critical infrastructure upgrades, latest technologies, best current practices, and governance strategies needed to prepare for the Internet-driven economy of the future.
#344 Multistakeholder Perspectives: WSIS+20 & the Technical Layer
The decisions that are made in 2025’s WSIS+20 Review will have implications for multistakeholder internet governance for decades to come. Despite widespread recognition of the close ties between the WSIS Action Lines and the technical layer of the Internet, there is often a lack of clear understanding of their interdependency. Drawing on expertise from three geographic regions, this session brings together stakeholders involved in decision-making around the technical operation of the Internet and civil society and governments to clarify these linkages and discuss the risks and opportunities associated with changes to the WSIS Action Lines.
Get to know us
About the Number Resource Organization
The NRO is a key stakeholder in the Internet ecosystem and actively contributes to an open, stable and secure Internet. It represents more than 79,000 Members worldwide.
The NRO is the coordinating body for the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) that manage the distribution of Internet number resources (IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and Autonomous System Numbers [ASNs]). These numbers are the building blocks of the Internet and are essential to its smooth functioning.
Get to know us
Distributing Internet number resources
Each device that communicates over the Internet requires an IP address. These resources are uniquely assigned and distributed following community-developed policies.
Effective management and fair access to these resources is vital to the ongoing health of the Internet.
ICP-2 Review
Internet Coordination Policy-2 Review
In October 2023, the NRO Executive Council (EC) asked the ASO AC to establish and manage a process to update the ICP-2 document. This update will be conducted in consultation with each of the RIR and ICANN communities to enhance the RIR system’s accountability to the broader Internet community.
ICP-2 was developed through ICANN’s Address Supporting Organization (ASO) assisted by APNIC, ARIN, and RIPE NCC. The ASO Address Council (AC) endorsed this document, and on 4 June 2001, it was accepted by the ICANN Board of Directors as a statement of the essential fundamental principles required for recognizing and evaluating new Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).
Governance Document Draft
The NRO NC has published the draft “Governance Document for the Recognition, Maintenance, and Derecognition of Regional Internet Registries” (RIR Governance Document) to update ICP-2 using the feedback received on the proposed principles document.The update sets forth the core principles the ASO AC believes should be reflected in the next version of ICP-2. In addition to principles on governance, ecosystem, lifecycle, recognition and operation of RIRs, it also outlines principles for the potential ‘derecognition’ of an RIR if it fails to adhere to the criteria established.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
Routing security
A secure Internet is part of the NRO's mission. The RIRs provide tools for network operators to secure their routing announcements, which help to minimize security incidents.
Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI)
RPKI is the framework RIRs use to make Internet routing more secure. It proves the association between specific Internet number resources and the holders of those resources through verifiable statements, which network operators can then use and validate to make routing decisions.It’s community driven, open source and available to all organisations to help make their network infrastructure more secure.
The NRO RPKI Program
The NRO RPKI Program was created to provide a more consistent and uniformly secure, resilient and reliable RPKI service by removing barriers for RPKI adoption currently experienced by network operators who create RPKI objects through multiple RIRs.The NRO RPKI Program works with the community to clearly define what a single, global RPKI system would look like, as well as working toward improving some other aspects of the RPKI system — namely robustness and security.
The NRO and Internet governance
The Internet ecosystem
The NRO is a longstanding contributor to the IGF: the fourth largest donor since 2006. It supports the multistakeholder exchange of ideas in this open forum as all stakeholders have a valuable contribution to make to Internet governance.The NRO routinely sends experts to the IGF to participate, present, and provide a technical community perspective. RIR representatives have been participants on the MAG for several years. Current representatives include:• Ms. Paula Oteguy, Head of Multistakeholder Engagement at LACNICThe NRO also engages with governments and forums such as the ITU and OECD on technical and operational Internet governance discussions.
Do you know how the Internet works?
MORE INFORMATION
Visit the NRO website for more information and the latest news.Visit the RIPE NCC Blog for live updates during the IGF.View articles on Internet governance from RIPE Labs, the APNIC Blog, the ARIN Blog, and the LACNIC Blog.Take a free online course on Internet governance at RIPE Academy or LACNIC Campus.Check out the IPGO game, an interactive game on Internet networking!