Policy (FAQ)

The Policy Development Process or PDP is a bottom-up, open and transparent process by which a proposal, presented by a member of the community, can become policy and be implemented by LACNIC as one of the rules under which LACNIC manages Internet resources.

More information on the PDP is available here.

The Policy Development Process (PDP) is a bottom-up process since proposals originate from within the community. Any member of the community can submit a policy proposal, which will be discussed on the public policy mailing list and presented at the Public Policy Forum. If the proposal successfully completes the PDP, it is ratified as policy and it will be implemented by LACNIC

More information on the Policy Development Process is available here.

You must first subscribe to the public policy mailing list here.

The public policy mailing list is a public email distribution list in which issues related to LACNIC policies are discussed.

You can subscribe to the Public Policy Mailing List here.

Click this link for more information on the Public Policy Mailing List.

Here is a list of the policy proposals currently under discussion.

Policy proposals are discussed in two different ways. First, each proposal is discussed remotely on the public policy list, after which it may be discussed in person during the policy forums that take place at LACNIC's annual events.

For a proposal to be presented at the Public Policy Forum, it must first have been discussed for at least one week on the policy list. Once a proposal has been discussed for at least eight weeks and has been presented at the Public Policy Forum, the chairs decide whether it has reached consensus. If the proposal reaches consensus, it enters a four-week period during which there is a last call for comments. After last comments have been received, the chairs once again decide whether the proposal has reached consensus; if it has done so, the proposal must be ratified as a policy by the LACNIC Board and be implemented.

There are two policy forum chairs. These chairs are members of the community who moderate discussions related to policies, both on the public policy mailing list as well as during the Public Policy Forum.

In addition, chairs perform the following functions:

1. To lead and prepare Public Policy Forum discussions. Discussions shall be conducted by one of the two chairs, who may alternate in this function during the course of the forum.
2. To lead the public policy mailing list and the Policy Development Process in general.
3. To evaluate and suggest minor changes to the texts proposed during the Public Policy Forum before making the last call for comments towards declaring consensus.
4. To evaluate and suggest the achievement of consensus in policy discussions.
5. To announce the finalization of discussions on a specific issue on the public policy mailing list.
6. To make the decision to abandon a policy.
7. To call for the creation of working groups on the public policy mailing list.
8. To receive comments from LACNIC Staff in relation to different aspects of a policy proposal. These comments may include suggestions about the wording of a document, the cost of implementing a proposal, legal implications, and the positioning of a proposal within LACNIC's policy document.

You can subscribe to the Public Policy Mailing List here.

Calls for nominations for Policy Forum Chair are made on the public policy mailing list. These calls are made approximately two months before the Public Policy Forum during which the term of one of the chairs is about to expire.

Candidates must be members of the LACNIC community or be nominated by a LACNIC member. Nominations or self-nominations must follow the instructions specified in the call for candidates.

More information on the election of Public Policy Forum Chairs can be found in section 2.2.3 of the PDP.

There are various ways in which you can participate in the discussion of a policy proposal. In the proposal's first stage, you can participate in the discussion that occurs on the public policy mailing list. To do so, you must first be subscribed to the list.

The next discussion stage takes place during the Public Policy Forum; it is possible to join discussions at this event in person or remotely via chat.

Finally, there is a period during which last calls for comments are invited. These comments are received through the public policy mailing list.