Forums for Participation
As part of the Internet technical community, ARIN is actively involved in Internet Governance discussions. We invite you to learn how and where ARIN is engaged, and then decide how best to add your voice. Your participation in this process helps demonstrate the effectiveness of the bottom-up multi-stakeholder Internet management model. Diverse voices and viewpoints are key to ensuring that the Internet continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of all users and organizations who depend on it.
How can you get involved?
The first step is to become familiar with some of the major organizations and venues where debates and action occur. This will help you determine where you wish to focus your energy and attention. Once you understand the organization or venue’s mission and structure you can develop your participation strategy.
The table below provides a brief summary about the organizations and venues ARIN currently participates in. As some organizations are quite complex, we suggest you click on the organization name for details about how ARIN interacts with each body, and how you may participate or join.
Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO)
ARIN’s Status: Affiliate Member
ARIN participates in CANTO’s Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition, both as an exhibitor and at times presenting on the agenda. ARIN’s participation in the activities of CANTO is important because ARIN and CANTO share a common interest in promoting the growth and stability of the Internet in the Caribbean.
Learn more about CANTOOverview
The Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO) serves the Caribbean telecommunications and Internet community by influencing policy, providing information in all aspects of the industry as it evolves, and facilitating a meaningful collaborative process.
Who can join?
Full membership is available to telecommunications operating companies. Affiliate membership is available to any entity wishing to show support.
Who can participate?
CANTO sponsors many education and training workshops, discussion forums and an annual Conference & Trade Exhibition that are open to the public. Other work that involves governments and ministries may be closed to members.
Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)
ARIN’s Status: Private Sector, Civil Society Member
ARIN has supported the CTU and its multi-stakeholder environment since 2007. In 2012, ARIN formalized this relationship by joining the CTU as a Private Sector - Civil Society member. Through this membership, ARIN provides educational information at Ministerial and ICT Roadshows, collaborates to get the word out about ongoing ICT capacity-building efforts carried out by the CTU, and, where possible, lends resources to reach ARIN’s Caribbean community, much of which is served by the CTU.
Learn more about CTUOverview
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is an organization dedicated to facilitating the development of the regional telecommunications sector as well as working with Caribbean intergovernmental agencies for capacity building, knowledge sharing, education, and policies for Internet governance within the Caribbean.
The CTU maintains a multi-stakeholder approach to the development of regional Internet Governance policy, drawing on the expertise and experiences of policy makers, regulators, service providers, content providers, consumer groups, academia, professionals, end users, and other Internet interest groups in the region e.g. the Caribbean Internet Forum (CIF), the Caribbean ICT Virtual Community (CIVIC), CARICOM’s Regional Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Steering Committee.
Who can join?
Membership is available to States (both CARICOM and non-Caricom member states) and to private sector companies and civil society organizations involved in the telecommunications sector.
Who can participate?
Many of the CTU’s educational offerings and discussion forums are open to the public. Other work draws on their multi-stakeholder membership base to facilitate regional cooperation toward advancing information and telecommunication services for all people in the Caribbean.
Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)
ARIN’s Status: Associate Member
ARIN participates in order to address questions and concerns related to the deployment of IPv6, the exhaustion of IPv4, and the technical management of Internet number resources. ARIN’s participation helps determine how World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) outcomes are applied in the ARIN region and how the WSIS outcomes are interpreted globally, including in the ITU. As appropriate, ARIN participates in regional preparations for specific ITU events, including the preparation of inter-American proposals (IAP) and common positions.
Learn more about CITELOverview
The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), part of the Organization of American States (OAS), was established in 1994 to promote the development of telecommunications, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the exchange of best practices and policy development in the Americas region.
CITEL’s evaluations include relevant legal, regulatory and technology-related issues such as universal access to ICT, common standards, network interoperability, and compatible use of the radio spectrum. These activities uniquely promote country and regional economic development and contribute to a consolidated representation of Members’ positions at regional, hemispheric and international policy meetings such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Who can join?
- Member States of the OAS
- Private sector organizations as Associate Members
Who can participate?
Most meetings are restricted to Member States and Associated Members. Private sector participation is encouraged through associate membership. Final reports of the working committees are generally available to the public on the CITEL website.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
ARIN’s Status: Sector Membership in ITU-T, ITU-D
Participation in the ITU allows ARIN to educate about the open, transparent, community-based policy framework for Internet number resource management, currently administered by the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) system, so that it is globally recognized and understood. ARIN provides technical advice and assistance to the ITU membership in order to advance understanding of the RIR’s Internet number resource distribution and management system. ARIN also takes part in the development of recommendations to preserve an open, stable, and growing Internet.
Learn more about the ITUOverview
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a United Nations (UN) affiliated Member State organization with global treaty level recognition for information and communication technologies, with an emphasis on international cooperation between governments and the private sector.
Who can join?
- A State member of the United Nations
- A State not a member of the United Nations
- Industry, international and regional organizations, as well as academia may join as sector, associate, or academia members.
To locate appropriate government contacts to discuss ITU issues, go to the ITU Global Directory and enter the Member State you wish to contact.
Who can participate?
Membership is required to participate in the various Study Groups, Working Groups, and to attend sector meetings as well as ITU World Conferences and Treaty Conferences. Some general information is available on the ITU website, but most documentation is restricted to members while under discussion and revision. Final treaty information is available to the public.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
ARIN’s Status: Participant as an RIR, as part of the NRO and staff participates in various working groups
ARIN has been an integral participant in the ICANN process, through its work on technical committees and by providing education and information as participants in workshops, as speakers and during open discussion forums. Representatives from the ARIN region, as members of the ICANN Address Supporting Organization (ASO), review and recommend global Internet number resource policy and elect two members to the ICANN Board of Directors. Once a year ARIN and the other four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) contribute financially to ICANN through the NRO.
Learn more about ICANNOverview
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for coordinating the Domain Name System (DNS), Internet number resources such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. ICANN relies on a bottom-up, consensus-driven, multi-stakeholder model to accomplish its work.
Who can join?
ICANN is not a membership organization. It has Supporting Organizations with elected and appointed representatives, a Government Advisory Committee, and a Board of Directors elected in part by the community and supporting organizations.
Who can participate?
ICANN holds three meetings per year open, all are open to the public. There is no registration fee, just the travel costs associated with attendance. Remote participation is available.
Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
ARIN’s Status: Participant as an RIR and through the Number Resource Organization (NRO)
The NRO participates in the IGF through financial support, developing plans and materials for workshops and panels and the creation of numerous reports to help IGF participants learn more about Internet number resource distribution and the role of the RIRs. The goals of the IGF and the NRO are closely aligned, and as the IGF has grown, the contributions of the NRO have increased to include
ARIN has participated in the IGF through the NRO since the first IGF meeting in Athens in 2006. ARIN continues to support the development of workshops and materials to help educate IGF participants about issues related to Internet number resources and other important issues that relate to the mission of the registry system. Full reports on NRO participation at the various IGF events are available on the NRO website.
Learn more about the IGFOverview
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) brings together many stakeholder groups to discuss the public policy issues regarding the Internet. Even though IGF meetings do not produce negotiated outcomes, the discussions from IGF do provide public and private sector policy makers valuable insight and information about important issues. The IGF provides equal opportunity for developing and developed countries to engage in debate on Internet governance. The IGF believes that involvement by all stakeholders is necessary for the advancement of the Internet.
Who can join?
The IGF is an open forum for dialogue and has no membership component.
Who can participate?
Governments, civil society, organizations, and individuals may all participate in workshops and general plenary session discussions. There is no barrier to entry other than the travel costs associated with attending the annual forum. Remote participation is available.
Internet Society (ISOC)
ARIN’s Status: Platinum Member
ARIN has been a member of ISOC since 2001. ISOC is the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet standards body responsible for developing the Internet’s technical foundations through its open global forum. ARIN’s membership contributes to IETF operations and funding of the RFC (Request for Comments) Editor function, which results in publication of these documents that focus on networking standards, protocols and procedures, key programs and concepts about “computer communications.”
Learn more about ISOCOverview
The Internet Society (ISOC) is a global nonprofit, cause-driven organization which focuses on many topics related to the well-being of the Internet including policy, governance, standards, technology, and development. It works to encourage a healthy, sustainable Internet available to everyone now and in the future.
Who can join?
Membership is available to individuals and organizations who wish to show support for ISOC’s mission. There are also many ISOC chapters throughout the world with unique membership structures.
Who can participate?
ISOC provides information and education materials openly through its website, and partners with organizations around the globe to provide technical training. There is no membership requirement to benefit from the majority of ISOC’s resources.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC)
ARIN’s Status: ITAC Member
As part of the NRO, ARIN is one of the founding members of ITAC and also participates as an individual contributor. ARIN fully participates in ITAC’s main purpose of contributing to the OECD’s development of Internet–related policies. ARIN, through ITAC, is able to provide technical information that adds to ongoing discussions, and provides material to aid the OECD in setting up future priorities in the technical arena.
Learn more about the OEDC and ITACOverview
Founded in 1960, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a forum where governments work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common economic and social problems. OECD members analyze and compare data to predict future trends, and set international standards by understanding what drives economic, social, and environmental change. The OECD has 34 Member countries, and works closely with various developing economies throughout the world.
The OECD is also focused on issues related to the developing Internet economy. At events including the OECD Ministerial Meeting On The Future of the Internet Economy (2008), the OECD High Level Meeting on the Internet Economy: Generating Innovation and Growth (2011), and in a number of committees and working parties, the OECD has examined a range of topics relating to the economic and social effects of the Internet.
Who can join?
ITAC membership is open to Internet technical or research organizations who agree to the principles set forth in the ITAC charter.
Who can participate?
ITAC members meet to discuss issues and collectively provide a technical perspective during consultations, calls, and meetings of various internal OECD study groups.