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ASO MoU Signed

21 October 2004

Marina del Rey – ICANN is pleased to announce the signing of a formal agreement between the Number Resource Organisation (NRO), the four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, Ripe NCC, and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that further renews the addressing community's involvement in the ICANN process.

This formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines new policy processes for the Address Supporting Organisation (ASO), which is the oldest Supporting Organisation in the ICANN framework, dating back to 1999. The addressing community, through the RIRs, has long been a model of the value and effectiveness of bottom-up technical coordination and related policy development. The MoU reflects the continuing commitment of the RIRs towards the ICANN model and the value of private/public partnerships and self-governance in developing global policies for the distribution of IP number resources.

Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN's President & CEO said, "We're very pleased that we continue to work together to facilitate a bottom up participatory process for the allocation of the Internet's unique identifiers especially IP addresses. The ongoing participation of the RIRs enhances ICANN's international, multi-stakeholder community, and we look forward to adding AfriNIC, the African Regional Internet Registry, to the list of signatories when their establishment as an RIR is finalised."

The purpose of the ASO is to review and develop recommendations on global number resource policy and to advise the ICANN Board on these matters. The signing of this renewed MoU with the RIRs marks the finalisation of the structure of the reform process of ICANN's supporting organisations.

For more information or media inquiries please email press@icann.org.

ICANN Address Supporting Organization (ASO) MoU

Attachment A

Attachment B