EC Chair’s Preview: September EC Meeting and APNIC 62

EC Chair Dr Kenny Huang delivers opening remarks during the APNIC Member Meeting at APNIC 58.

In early September, the APNIC Executive Council (EC) will meet ahead of APNIC 62 and the APNIC Member Meeting (AMM) in Mumbai, India.

As you may know, the EC are the elected representatives of APNIC's membership who oversee the organization's governance and strategic direction, and ensure it remains sustainable, effective, and focused on delivering value. Transparency and accountability to Members are fundamental to that oversight responsibility.

To further strengthen the EC's engagement with our membership, this blog post is the first in a regular series we will publish before and after each APNIC conference (September) and APRICOT summit (February). The aim is to provide greater visibility into some of the EC's key areas of focus and highlight opportunities for Members to provide feedback and to participate in APNIC's governance.

Planning for APNIC's future

Ahead of the APNIC 62 Conference in Mumbai, the EC will review and discuss APNIC's 2027 Activity Plan and Budget. These documents translate APNIC's 2024 - 2027 Strategic Plan into a set of priorities, activities, and deliverables, providing a transparent operational roadmap for the Secretariat for the year.

Discussions will also focus on APNIC's long-range direction, which is being informed by the 2026 APNIC Survey report.

The APNIC Survey is commissioned by the EC every two years and conducted by an independent research body. The consolidated feedback from over 1,300 Members, National Internet Registries (NIRs), and Asia Pacific Internet community members gives us an unbiased picture of APNIC's performance and the membership's emerging needs and priorities.

We thank everyone who took part in the survey and look forward to sharing the results with the community at the AMM. There will be an opportunity for you to add or comment on the insights during the AMM open mic.

Governance and community leadership

The Regional Internet Registry (RIR) Governance Document is a topic the EC follows closely, as it is key to further strengthening the governance and accountability framework of the RIR system.

We deeply appreciate the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC) for completing their Recommended Draft of the document and look forward to the next stages of the process. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our APNIC representatives to the NRO NC, specifically current members Maemura Akinori, Nicole Chan, and Dr Devesh Tyagi as well as former NRO NC members Di Ma and Gaurav Kansal who also served during the development of the document.

The EC will also consider the appointment of the 2027 Electoral Committee that will oversee the APNIC EC elections in February next year. The Electoral Committee is an independent oversight body for the nominations process, assessing nominee eligibility, and monitoring nominee conduct during EC elections, helping to ensure the election is conducted fairly, transparently, and in accordance with the APNIC By-laws.

Diversity consultation

Another key focus of the Council is APNIC's diversity in EC and community leadership consultation. The APNIC Secretariat has conducted three online listening sessions so far (from June to August) and the EC are pleased to hear a wide range of perspectives on reducing barriers and friction points to enable community members to step up into leadership roles in the APNIC community, as well as to put themselves forward as EC candidates.

We look forward to hearing your views at the dedicated Diversity and Inclusion session at APNIC 62 on 9 September.

Financial and operational performance

The EC will also be reviewing APNIC's financial and operational performance for the year so far, including registry stewardship, compliance activities, and progress against organizational objectives. This is a critical accountability function of the EC, ensuring APNIC is delivering to Members and the community as promised.

It is important that Members have visibility into this work. The AMM is a key part of that process, where the EC and Secretariat will be providing a full update on APNIC's performance, priorities, and future plans.

How you can provide feedback to the EC

Whether you are joining us in person or remotely at APNIC 62 in Mumbai, I encourage you to participate in the AMM and share your views. Members can contribute during the meeting, through ongoing consultation processes, or by contacting the EC through the EC correspondence page.

Your input helps shape our discussions and strengthens APNIC's ability to support the Asia Pacific Internet community. I look forward to hearing your views in the lead-up to and during APNIC 62.

To participate in the AMM, register to attend APNIC 62 in person or online.

The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.