Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)

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