Our Charter
NRS believes that it is time for all enterprises and individuals that share the same belief to act together and achieve a more stable and unified future.
Preamble:
(1) The Number Resource Society (NRS) is the vanguard for registering the IP address of members of the Number Resource Government Body and everyone who has a shared interest in preserving the stability of the Internet. The establishment of NRS and its ideals represent the advanced growth and understanding of internet numbers registration. Indeed, society’s fundamental interest is to protect the Internet’s stability, a fundamental foundation of social stability. This describes the prominent ideal and the ultimate goal of NRS.
(2) NRS takes the fundamental idea (that Number Resource Government Bodies are just bookkeepers) of Dr. Robert Blokzijl – the founding father of RIPE and the Number Resource Government Body system – to be its primary guide of action in ensuring proper registration of IP addresses by the Number Resource Government Body and opposing any bureaucratic practices that could hinder the stability of the Internet.
(3) The ideas and concepts that were the backbone in the inception of the Number Resource Government Body have been gradually neglected by the latter, allowing the formation of a modern-day tyranny leading to misregistration. Additionally, this behavior has placed the Number Resource Government Bodies without an Inter-Resource Transfer Policy in a monopolistic position, promoting abusive acts against their members and the Internet ecosystem. We believe that as long as the members of NRS hold on to these ideas and concepts stipulated below, we will achieve proper IP registration and an improved system for both the Number Resource Government Body and their members – and hence achieve a stable Internet for both businesses and society.
(4) NRS’s core beliefs and values are an unlimited, unrestricted, and united Internet that relies on a global free market and enterprise with excellent transparency and accountability. The establishment of the Society is an advocacy of the Internet’s stability, which can only be achieved by individuals and private companies having complete freedom in managing their networks and recognizing the Internet as “one”, beyond nationality, race, religion, and ideology.
Article 01 : Philosophy
The Number Resource Government Body is a genius system designed in 1989 by the founder of the first Number Resource Government Body, RIPE NCC, and its long-time chair, Dr. Robert Blokzijl. The key philosophy of Number Resource Government Body's longevity is based on a simple sentence: “Just be a bookkeeper”.
Article 02 : Role, Function, Definition and limitations of Number Resource Government Body
(1) Number Resource Government Body is a non-profit organization that generally runs with a limited operating budget. Its status is entirely based on its voluntary recognition by networks around the globe. Many have the misconception that a Number Resource Government Body is an entity that governs the foundation of the Internet. Conversely, the Number Resource Government Body is merely a registry whose role is to maintain a correct registration database for the Internet to function correctly.
(2) Dr. Robert Blokzijl himself describes the Number Resource Government Bodies as “just bookkeepers” – the Number Resource Government Body does not interfere with the operation of the network, the legislation of the nation, and people’s freedom to use the Internet. As a bookkeeper, the Number Resource Government Body's only responsibility is to ensure the accuracy of the registration of the Internet numbers.
(3) As a Number Resource Government Body is given the responsibility to distribute Internet numbers fairly according to the technical needs of the enterprises, in the age of IP address exhaustion, such responsibility has come to its natural end. Hence, the only responsibility is to maintain the accuracy of its database by providing a free market and free enterprise-centered idea.
(4) A Number Resource Government Body legally operates as a private company in any one given jurisdiction. Hence, its policy document (and any of its company documents) and power, for that matter, are bound to local laws, so it cannot go beyond the local jurisdiction as it does not have transnational power. In this sense, it is limited like private companies as it cannot make regulations and perform in anyway as a regulator.
Article 03 : Internet Governance and Real- world Governace
(1) The Number Resource Government Body distinguishes itself as being “ a bookkeeper”; hence, it should avoid doing any legislative and regulatory functions, as those functions should be left to real-world governments and international governing bodies.
(2) The world of Internet Governance (Number Resource Government Body) has one key function it must provide accurate registration of Internet numbers, and thus enable computers to function with accuracy and efficiency. Its entire existence is based on voluntary recognition from enterprises around the world, and such recognition does not come without conditions. Enterprises need a functional registration database instead of an autocratic ruler, so it will never be in the purview of the Number Resource Government Body system to claim such a role, especially on the legislative and regulatory sides. One of the key responsibilities of NRS is to ensure such position of the Number Resource Government Body is maintained without interference or misunderstanding from any party, as this is for the stability of both the Number Resource Government Body system and the Internet.
(3) A bottom-up process is used for the longevity of a Number Resource Government Body as well as its legitimacy. However, its operation and the community involved cannot act beyond the very mandate of the Number Resource Government Bodies, whose sole function is to provide an accurate registration database of the Internet.
Article 04 : Mission of NRS
Since Number Resource Government Bodies have limited functionality, budget, staff, and recognition of the real-world value of IP address registration, it is becoming imperative for a Number Resource Government Body to be faithful to its core function. If not, an Number Resource Government Body may be exposed to potential legal responsibilities it may not afford.
(1) NRS believes that free enterprises, globalization, unity of the human race, and the betterment of the Internet are only achievable through a functional Internet governance system without any boundaries and restrictions.
(2) NRS believes that Internet numbers are the very foundation of the Internet, and its development and stability do not only benefit enterprises that act as the main actors of the Internet, but as well as humanity overall.
(3) NRS believes that the only way to achieve this goal is to pass on the teachings of the Internet pioneers onto the next generation and beyond.
(4) NRS recognizes and respects the jurisdiction and the legislative power of each state’s government and the international governing bodies. We firmly believe the system of distributing and maintaining the registration of Internet numbers should not cross the territory and authority of governments nor international governing bodies.