The Government of India welcomes Version 2 of the RIR Governance Document as an important step toward transparency and accountability in the recognition, operation, and derecognition of Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). However, several key governance safeguards and clarifications remain essential for fairness, neutrality, and equitable participation across all regions.

India strongly recommends establishment of an Independent Review Panel (IRP), a neutral, community-appointed body comprising experts nominated by ICANN’s Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees, to ensure due process and independence in all recognition and derecognition decisions. This addresses conflicts of interest inherent in incumbent-RIR-driven evaluations and preserves ICANN’s multistakeholder legitimacy.

India further calls for explicit clarity in the definition of “Member” (Section 1.1) to harmonize membership categories, voting rights, and thresholds under Section 2.3(b)(i)(B). Variations in RIR membership structures risk inequitable derecognition initiation. Hence, the 2,000-member / 25% threshold should be reviewed and applied uniformly, with clarity on whether voting is one-member-one-vote or weighted by IP-block size.

A central reform proposed is the creation of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) framework linking Articles 3, 4, and 6, ensuring measurable post-recognition accountability. The SLA, signed between ICANN and each recognized RIR, would define commitments on service quality, audits, capacity building, reporting, and dispute resolution, forming the operational foundation for ongoing compliance and derecognition review.

Together, the IRP and SLA frameworks will ensure neutrality, transparency, equitable participation, and continuity of Internet number management while upholding RIR autonomy within ICANN’s global governance system.