Number Resource Society
POA & representation
A shared position becomes collective action when members give a clear mandate. Understand how a Power of Attorney supports NRS representation in RIR matters, and what to review before you authorise it.
Why your mandate matters
Your business depends on continued use and recognition of its IP addresses. When the institutions governing those resources create uncertainty, the consequences can reach your customers, contracts, revenue and ability to operate. NRS Shield makes the case for facing that exposure through coordinated member action.
Agreeing with that case and authorising someone to represent you are separate decisions. A Power of Attorney (POA) records authority to act on your behalf within its stated scope. It gives NRS a mandate for representation, beyond a general expression of support or an ordinary membership registration.
Explore NRS Shield and the risk in your RIR
What you are authorising
NRS seeks member-authorised representation in Internet number-resource governance. The purpose is to bring members’ voices together in the institutions and decisions that affect their businesses. The applicable POA document defines who may act, for which member, on which matters and under what conditions.
The exact instrument matters. Review the covered RIRs, powers, limits and any further instructions or documents needed for a particular action. NRS Shield describes its purpose as coordinated governance and legal protection in RIR matters without transferring your assets or company; check that the document you are asked to sign reflects the authority you intend to give.
How authority becomes action
NRS’s work includes member participation in elections, policy debate and institutional reform. A mandate can support coordinated representation where its scope and the applicable rules permit it. A POA does not itself create RIR membership, voting eligibility or a right to bypass an election’s procedures. An election-specific proxy or further member instruction may still be required.
The ambition extends beyond a single election: resource holders should have a meaningful voice in the rules governing their networks. Representation is a means to pursue that change. Its value should be judged by the work undertaken, the decisions influenced and the problems still to resolve.
Read NRS’s AFRINIC 2025 election record
What to review before signing
Ask the NRS team for the applicable POA and current completion instructions. Review them with your own counsel against your organisation’s actual RIR agreement and the rules for the intended action.
Establish the authorised representative and matters; what requires a separate instruction; the duration and any expiry; how withdrawal or termination works; how your instructions will be recorded; how conflicts and costs are handled; and how you will receive confirmation and updates. Those answers must come from the applicable documents and agreed process.
The POA Start Pack is an AFRINIC-focused guide for member counsel. It compares the individual contractual position with collective member mechanisms and identifies questions for legal review. It is a review aid, not a POA to sign or a statement that the same rules apply in every RIR.
Open the AFRINIC POA Start Pack for counsel
Request a review, then decide
Contact NRS with your organisation, the relevant RIR and the matters on which you are considering representation. Request the document and discuss its scope before deciding whether to execute it. After signing, ask NRS to confirm receipt, the applicable mandate and any further steps required for the intended action.
Opening an email, asking for information or joining NRS does not grant a POA. The next step takes you to NRS Shield’s existing contact section, where you can request the applicable document; it does not submit or sign an authorisation.
Keep the work accountable
Ask what NRS is seeking to change, which actions it has taken under the agreed mandate and what remains unresolved. Discuss instructions for the matters affecting you and request updates from the team. A public list of represented organisations records participation; it does not replace the record of actions or their results.