Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
The founding rules of the Internet technical advisory board.
Chapin, L., "Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)", RFC 1358, DOI 10.17487/RFC1358, August 1992, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1358>.
@misc{rfc1358,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 1358,
howpublished = {RFC 1358},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC1358},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1358},
author = {L. Chapin},
title = {{Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)}},
pagetotal = 5,
year = 1992,
month = aug,
} RFC text
Contents
Network Working Group L. Chapin, Chair
Request for Comments: 1358 Internet Architecture Board
August 1992
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;
(c) the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society; or
(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
ISO Plain Language
On this page
§1The IAB and Its Role
The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) operates as a technical advisory group of the Internet Society. Its responsibilities include expert oversight of the architecture of the worldwide multiprotocol Internet, editorial management and publication of the RFC series, development and approval of Internet Standards, advice to the Internet Society's Board of Trustees on technical and architectural matters, and representation of the Society in liaison relationships with other organizations.
The IAB may be charged with additional responsibilities by the Internet Society, or take on additional activities as the Society's needs demand.
The IAB is the group of technical experts who advise on how to build the Internet and who publishes the standards documents. It can be given extra jobs when needed.
§2Membership and Governance
The IAB consists of no more than 15 members, who serve as individuals and not as representatives of any company or agency. Members are nominated by the IAB, the President of the Internet Society, the Board of Trustees, or by a petition of at least 1 percent of the Internet Society membership, or 150 members if the membership exceeds 15,000. The Board of Trustees must approve or disapprove a nomination within 60 days, by a three-fifths vote.
Any member may be replaced by the Board of Trustees with a four-fifths vote, or upon a petition of at least 5 percent of the voting membership. The Board reviews each member's contribution at three-year intervals and explicitly reaffirms or revokes the membership. Members serve as volunteers without compensation, except that the President may approve expense reimbursement and, with Board approval, compensation in cases the Board considers essential.
The IAB has at most 15 members who are chosen by the board, the Society's leaders, or by members signing a petition. They are volunteers and are reviewed every three years.
§3Officers and Task Forces
The members elect one of their number as chair of the IAB, who may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the members. The chair may organize the IAB as seen fit and, with the approval of at least two-thirds of the membership, appoints an Editor for the RFC series. If the RFC Editor is not an IAB member, the position serves ex officio. The chair also appoints, under the same approval, the chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force and the chair of the Internet Research Task Force, the IAB's initial task forces.
The Internet Society provides secretariat support for the IAB and its groups, subject to Board approval. It also publishes, at least every six months, a definitive record of the status of the Internet Standards process, and the Internet Society News serves as the publication of record for IAB actions.
The members pick a chair. That chair appoints the RFC Editor and the heads of two task forces, one for engineering and one for research. The Society provides staff support and reports on standards status at least twice a year.