Address Supporting Organization
ASO is the acronym for ”Address Supporting Organization”, which is one of the supporting organizations that was formed, according to ICANN's bylaws, through community consensus. The main objective of the ASO is to review and develop Internet Protocol recommendations, address policy, and advise the ICANN Board.[1]
Overview
It was created in 1999 and the members of ASO represent the Address Council. Representative from each of the five RIR (Regional Internet Registries) are part of ASO and two of these members are the nominated by an open procedure followed by each regional policy forum.[2]
ASO History
In July, 1999, when the three Regional Internet Registries which existed then, APNIC, ARIN, and RIPE NCC submitted their proposal for the creation of the ASO on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding; which allows for the creation of a body such as the ASO as an extension of the NRO.
ICANN approved the proposal at its meeting in Chile, and the ASO was subsequently created in October, 1999, when the representatives of APNIC, ARIN, RIPE NCC and ICANN signed the MoU. LACNIC was later recognized as the 4th RIR and it signed the agreement on October 30th, 2002. The Memorandum of Understanding was modified in October, 2004, and signed by ICANN and the NRO, which signed on behalf of all the RIRs. When ICANN decided to recognize AfriNIC as the fifth global RIR the representatives of AfriNIC signed the MoU, and it was incorporated as the 5th NRO member.[3]
ASO Address Council
The composition of the Address Council is made of members of NRO Council (Number Resource Organization). In order to understand the global policy development process there are plenty of documents and explanations related to the process description where there are mentioned the implications of RIR, ASO, ICANN and other such organization within the development process. The main responsibilities of ASO Address Council are listed below:
- Fulfilling its role in the global policy development process based on the requirements included in this process;
- Maintaining communication with ICANN and providing recommendations related to various policies and RIR recognition;
- Ensuring full support, guidance and advice for ICANN’s Board related to the allocation policy for number resource;
- The development of procedures for business management and support their responsibilities especially in the case of Address Council Chair. [4]