Number Resource Organization

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) was formed in 2003 to act a coordinating body for the Regional Internet Registries (currently AFRINIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, RIPE NCC), which have responsibilities for managing the distribution of Internet number resources (including Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and Autonomous System Numbers) at a regional level.

The main aims of the NRO are to: protect the unallocated Internet number resource pool, promote and protect the bottom-up policy development process for the allocation and management of Internet number resources, and act as a focal point for Internet community input into the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) system. As part of its activities, the organisation produces statistic reports on the distribution of Internet number resources, contributes to the development of global IP number policies (especially within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers – ICANN, where it acts as the Address Supporting Organization (ASO), tasked with reviewing and developing recommendations on IP address policy, and advising the ICANN Board in this regard), and also participates in global Internet governance processes such as the Internet Governance Forum and other regional initiatives. NRO also undertakes capacity building and outreach activities on issues related to Internet numbers; one example in this regard is represented by NRO’s efforts to promote the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 among stakeholders throughout the world.