Presentation by Paul Wilson at APRICOT 2017 on Monday, 27 February 2017.

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APNIC Foundation
Why, what and how?

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APNIC Bylaws
• a. to provide the service of allocating and registering Internet resources … and to assist in
the development and growth of the Internet in the Asia and Pacific Rim region;
• b. to assist the Asia and Pacific Rim Internet community in the development of procedures,
mechanisms, and standards … as a service to the community as a whole;
• c. to provide educational opportunities to further Members' technical and policy
understanding of the industry;
• d. to develop public policies and public positions … to seek legislative and regulatory
consideration of issues of general benefit to the Members, where and when appropriate;
• e. to serve as the administrative, managerial and operations arm of APNIC Pty Ltd, and to
transact all activities, functions and affairs on behalf, and in the name, of the corporation.
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Some history
• 1995: APNIC co-founds APRICOT
• 1998: First technical training programs launched
(Internet Resource Management)
• 1999: APNIC joins collaborative Internet R&D
grants program run by Canada’s IDRC
• 2000: First anycast DNS root server in the AP
• 2003: ITU sector membership and collaboration
on IPv6
• 2004: APNIC Fellowship programme launched
for APNIC 18 in Fiji
• 2008: Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF
Asia) launched with funding from IDRC, ISOC
and APNIC
• 2009: Invited guest of APEC TEL, promoting IPv6
to Ministerial level
• 2012: Seed Alliance launched (ISIF Asia, FRIDA,
FIRE) supported by IDRC and SIDA
• 2014: EC approves Foundation process to begin
• 2015: Projects with ITU, World Bank and JICA
funding
• 2015: Technical Assistance trials in Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and Thailand
• 2016: APNIC Development Program prospectus
published
• 2016: APNIC Foundation incorporated in Hong
Kong
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APNIC Survey
• High value placed on training and technical assistance in all surveys since 1999
• 2004: Should APNIC establish a trust structure to attract funding for training
activities?
– Score 7.3
• 2009: APNIC should establish an open funding mechanism to support training and
education for organisations in need within the region
– Score 7.88
• 2012: Strong support for training and technical assistance for IPv6 deployment;
financial sustainability of training to be studied.
• 2014: Training takes second place in overall APNIC priorities (second to registry
services), and in use of excess surplus funds (second to IPv6 promotion)
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APNIC Survey 2016
Training and Technical Assistance

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EC Resolution
• The EC invited the Director of Development to develop a
proposal for a developmental funding foundation for further
EC consideration, including consideration of developmental
needs in the region, and the means and methods for
fulfilling those needs, noting that APNIC is committed to
providing no lesser level of developmental support than is
the case today.
– August 2014

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What?
• “a developmental funding foundation”
• In line with APNIC’s original mission
• To support and expand APNIC’s development program
• Where local resources are not available, but external
resources may be
• With appropriate separation of funding administration from
APNIC core activities

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Why?
• “consideration of the developmental needs in the region”
• As needed…
– Training and education
– Fellowships and professional support
– Community networks
– Technical assistance
– Infrastructure support

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How?
• “the means and methods for fulfilling those needs”
• APNIC Foundation approved in Feb 2016
– After review of options, locations, etc.

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APNIC Foundation Limited (HK)
• To support Internet
development in the Asia
Pacific region, though
training, education, human
capacity building and related
projects and activities by
fundraising in support of
activities delivered by APNIC
and partner organisations.
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Structure
• Non-profit company limited by guarantee
– Incorporated in HK and seeking charitable status
• Single member initially: APNIC
– May increase in future
• Board of Directors
– Appointed by APNIC EC
– Primary responsibility: Fundraising
• Advisory Committee
– Primary responsibility: Internet development expertise
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Funding process
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Investors APNIC
Foundation
Fundraising
Project development
APNIC
• Project management
• Technical expertise
• Governance
Partners
• Technical expertise
• Networks
• Resources
Projects
Foundation retains
10% (e.g.) operating
overhead

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Funding sources
• Development agencies and banks
– E.g.. IDRC, SIDA, World Bank, ADB
• Foundations and philanthropists
– E.g. China Internet Development Foundation, Hewlett Foundation
• National governments
– E.g. Ministries of Foreign Affairs and others relevant agencies
• Corporate CSR funds
– E.g. Cisco, Huawei, APNIC members and others
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Partners
• Community trainers and TA providers
• NOGs, CERTs, etc.
• AP* and I* organisations
• Educational institutions
• Training organisations
• Private sector
• Funding/development bodies
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Phases
• Establishment
– APNIC funds the establishment of the Foundation until
successful registration as a charity;
– APNIC’s Development Program activities continue as
usual within the usual budget.
• Incubation (first 1-2 years after establishment)
– APNIC funds core “Foundation activities”, namely
fundraising and administration;
– APNIC continues to underwrite Development Program
projects within the usual budget;
– Foundation receives financial contributions which cover
costs of new development projects;
– “Administrative overhead” portion of received funds is
retained.
• Operation (when total funds exceed, say, $1m
annually)
– Foundation employs fundraising and administration
resources, funded by Administrative portion of received
funds;
– APNIC continues to manage all projects, funded by
Foundation;
– APNIC and partners implement projects, funded by
Foundation;
– APNIC provides services required by the Foundation at
cost;
– APNIC may make supporting contributions if required
(according to budget and EC decision).
• Maturity
– APNIC operational support is no longer required;
– Foundation may, in future, employ project management
and other resources;
– Foundation may have independent office space and
operational programs.
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Focus
• Human Capacity
– To train and support the professionals who are building the Internet in
the Asia Pacific region, especially in such areas as security
• The “Internet Layer”
– ISP and IP network infrastructure, addressing, routing, peering
– Professional networking, community organisations and structures
– Supporting the work of our members
– “To make the best use of physical infrastructure to support stable,
secure, state of the art Internet services”
• Community development (policy and regulation)
– Advocating for Internet friendly policy and regulatory regimes
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Thank you
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