Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)

Status of this Memo

This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does not specify an Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Section 1.

The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) shall be constituted and shall operate as a technical advisory group of the Internet Society. Its responsibilities shall include:

(1) Expert and experienced oversight of the architecture of the: worldwide multiprotocol Internet.

(2) The editorial management and publication of the Request for: Comments (RFC) document series, which constitutes the archival publication series for Internet Standards and related contributions by the Internet research and engineering community.

(3) The development, review, and approval of Internet: Standards, according to a well-defined and documented set of "Procedures for Internet Standardization". Internet Standards shall be published in the form of specifications as part of the RFC series.

(4) The provision of advice and guidance to the Board of Trustees: and Officers of the Internet Society concerning technical, architectural, procedural, and (where appropriate) policy matters pertaining to the Internet and its enabling technologies.

(5) Representation of the interests of the Internet Society in

liaison relationships with other organizations.

The IAB may be charged with additional responsibilities within the Internet Society, or undertake additional specific activities from time to time, as the needs and requirements of the Internet Society demand.

Section 2.

The IAB shall consist of a number of members not to exceed 15. Members of the IAB shall serve in that capacity as individuals, and not as representatives of any company, agency, or other organization. Individuals shall be nominated for membership by:

      (a) the IAB;

(b) the President of the Internet Society;

(d) a duly executed petition of at least 1% of the current: membership of the Internet Society, or, if the current membership of the Society exceeds 15,000, of at least 150 members, delivered to and validated by the Secretary of the Society.

The Internet Society Board of Trustees shall approve or disapprove such a nomination within 60 days. Approval shall be by the affirmative vote of at least three-fifths of the members of the Board of Trustees then in office.

Any member of the IAB may be replaced by the Board of Trustees, by the affirmative vote of at least four-fifths of the members of the Board of Trustees then in office, whenever in their judgement the best interests of the Society will be served thereby. A member of the IAB shall also be replaced, upon the confirming vote of a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees then in office, if and when a duly executed petition of at least 5% of the voting membership of the Internet Society is delivered to and validated by the Secretary of the Society. The vote of the Board of Trustees, and any action pursuant to that vote, shall be taken no later than at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board following the date on which the Secretary declares the receipt of a valid petition.

The Board of Trustees shall review each IAB member's contribution to the IAB at three-year intervals, and shall at that time explicitly reaffirm or revoke the membership. There is no limit to the number of times the Board of Trustees may reaffirm the membership of any individual IAB member. However, it is expected that the decision to reaffirm or revoke will be reached with respect to the current composition of the IAB as a whole, and the extent to which the goals and requirements of the Internet Society are served by the IAB as then currently constituted.

Whenever the Board of Trustees determines that a vacancy exists on the IAB, it shall circulate among the membership of the Internet Society, by electronic mail, a call for nominations, specifying a closing date for nominations to be received by the Secretary of the Society that is no less than 30 days after the date on which the call is circulated. At its discretion, the Board may also circulate the call for nominations among the membership of the Society my means other than electronic mail, and may also advertise or circulate the call by such other means and among the members of such other groups as it sees fit and appropriate.

Section 3.

The IAB may create and empower task forces, committees, and working groups, as it sees fit, to carry out activities that fall within the scope of the IAB's responsibilities. The initial task forces of the IAB are the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF).

Section 4.

The Internet Society shall provide support for secretariat functions that are required by the IAB or its task forces, committees, and working groups, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. In particular, the secretariat shall include support for the Internet standards-making activity of the IAB. During the Internet Society's Initial Period of operations, support for secretariat functions shall depend on the availability of funding provided specifically for this purpose.

Section 5.

Members of the IAB and its task forces, committees, and working groups shall serve on a volunteer basis without compensation, except as provided in (a) and (b) below:

(a) The President of the Internet Society may approve the: reimbursement by the Society of expenses incurred by a member of the IAB or one of its corollary organizations, if he or she determines that reimbursement of specific expenses is appropriate.

(b) Acting on the recommendation of the President of the Internet

Society, the Board of Trustees may approve the payment of compensation to an individual whose service as a member of the IAB or of one of its corollary organizations is

(1) considered by the Board to be essential to the welfare of

            the Society, and

(2) is, in the Board's estimation, unobtainable in the absence: of reasonable compensation.

In determining the need for and amount of compensation, the Board shall apply the criteria and voting rules that it normally applies to matters concerning the allocation of Internet Society funds.

Section 6.

The members of the IAB shall appoint one of their number to serve as the chair of the IAB, with all of the duties and responsibilities normally associated with such a position. The chair of the IAB may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the IAB, or as a result of his or her departure from the IAB.

Section 7.

The chair of the IAB shall have the authority to organize the IAB as he or she sees fit.

Section 8.

The chair of the IAB, with the approval of at least two-thirds of the IAB membership, shall have the authority to appoint an Editor for the Request for Comments (RFC) publication series (the "RFC Editor"), who shall be responsible for the editorial management and publication of the RFC series. If the RFC Editor is not a member of the IAB, he or she shall serve ex officio as a member of the IAB unless and until made a regular member of the IAB. The RFC Editor may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the IAB.

Section 9.

The chair of the IAB, with the approval of at least two-thirds of the IAB membership, shall have the authority to appoint the chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), who shall be responsible for the management and organization of the IETF. If the IETF chair is not a member of the IAB, he or she shall serve ex officio as a member of the IAB unless and until made a regular member of the IAB. The IETF chair may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the IAB.

Section 10.

The chair of the IAB, with the approval of at least two-thirds of the IAB membership, shall have the authority to appoint the chair of the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF), who shall be responsible for the management and organization of the IRTF. If the IRTF chair is not a member of the IAB, he or she shall serve ex officio as a member of the IAB unless and until made a regular member of the IAB. The IRTF chair may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of two- thirds of the members of the IAB.

Section 11.

The Internet Society News shall serve as the formal Publication of Record for the announcement of actions taken and decisions made by the IAB on matters related to the Internet Standards. Other official actions and decisions of the IAB may be announced and recorded in the News. All IAB announcements published in the News shall also be distributed by electronic mail to the Internet Society membership.

The Internet Society shall, through its various publications and by any other means that may be suitable in each circumstance, provide timely information to its members concerning the actions and decisions of the IAB; and shall actively solicit and promote the participation of its members in IAB-administered activities such as the development and review of Internet Standards.

Section 12.

The Internet Society shall regularly publish as an RFC a definitive record of the status of the Internet Standards process. As it is used in this section, the term "regularly" shall mean "no less frequently than once every six months".

Security Considerations

Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Author's Address

A. Lyman Chapin
Bolt, Beranek & Newman
Mail Stop 20/5b
150 Cambridge Park Drive
Cambridge, MA 02140

   Phone: (617) 873-3133
   EMail: lyman@BBN.COM