FY23 NPOC Trip Assessment 2

During my trip to RIPE86 from Monday 22 to Tuesday 24 May 2023, I had a clear purpose and set out to achieve specific outcomes. Firstly, I arrived in Rotterdam without any logistical difficulties, thanks to the professional assistance provided by the ICANN travel team during the preparation phase.

As a first-time attendee, I began my trip by participating in the Newcomers' introduction session, which helped me familiarize myself with the RIPE meeting format and structure. Throughout the event, I actively engaged in discussions related to the policies and procedures employed by the RIPE NCC for allocating Internet number resources.

Attending various RIPE Working Group sessions was a significant part of my trip, as it allowed me to contribute to discussions on current technical and policy issues. Some of the topics covered included Advances in Segment Routing Traffic Engineering, The EU Gigabit Connectivity Package and Its Impact on the Internet, How Sweden Built a World-Leading Time Network as a Best Practice, Regional Success Stories in Challenging Conditions, Techniques for Reducing Network Power Consumption, the Challenges of IPv6-only DNS Resolution, and the Pros and Cons of DNSSEC implementation.

Furthermore, I took advantage of networking opportunities and engaged with the business community and colleagues from Civil Society Organizations who were present at the event. I shared information about NPOC's mission, distributed flyers, and explained how they could get involved in our policy development processes within ICANN.

A notable highlight of my trip was a joint working session with colleagues from EURALO, where we discussed ways to collaborate and bring our ICANN-related issues to the forefront during future RIPE meetings. This collaborative approach aimed to ensure that our concerns were addressed within the RIPE community's discussions.

Although I couldn't attend the entire event due to limited funding, I made the most of the time I had. The social events organized during the trip provided valuable opportunities to engage participants, educate them about the ICANN ecosystem, and raise awareness about NPOC.

In reflection, while I achieved significant outcomes during my trip to RIPE86, I regret not being able to attend the conversations held on Thursday and Friday. In the future, I hope to secure adequate funding to support participants from NPOC to attend the entire event, ensuring our active presence and involvement throughout its duration.

 During my participation at RIPE86, I actively participated in various sessions and engaged in informal conversations to promote awareness about ICANN, the Non-commercial Stakeholder Constituency, the NPOC and ongoing EPDPs and the New Generic Top-Level Domains Program Next Round.

Before the meeting, I prepared by participating in the prep week webinars and joining the RIPE Policy mailing list to stay updated on relevant discussions. During the meeting in Rotterdam, I attended a range of sessions, including:

1. Advances in Segment Routing Traffic Engineering: This session focused on advancements and best practices in segment routing for traffic engineering purposes.
2. How Sweden Built a World-Leading Time Network as a Best Practice: This session discussed the successful implementation of a highly accurate time network in Sweden, highlighting it as a best practice example.
3. Regional Success Stories in Challenging Conditions: This session showcased success stories from various regions, highlighting how they overcame challenges in their network infrastructure development.
4. Techniques for Reducing Network Power Consumption: This session explored strategies and techniques to reduce power consumption in network infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of sustainability.
5. The Challenges of IPv6-only DNS Resolution: This session addressed the challenges and considerations associated with DNS resolution in IPv6-only networks.
6. The Pros and Cons of DNSSEC Implementation: This session delved into the benefits and drawbacks of implementing DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) for enhanced security in the domain name system.
7. Redesigning an OOB Network for Resilience: This session discussed the redesign of out-of-band (OOB) networks to improve their resilience and reliability.

I also attended plenary sessions that covered crucial topics such as the environmental impact of the Internet, the EU Gigabit Connectivity Package and its implications, e-Government DNS resilience assessment, handling the new encrypted protocol stack, incident management at scale, and the role of networks in dealing with IPv6 extension headers. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet with the RIPE Chair Team and the RIPE NCC Executive Board.

As a first-time attendee, I refrained from asking questions during most of the technical sessions. However, I actively engaged in informal conversations with participants, distributing over 50 flyers to raise awareness about the ICANN ecosystem, NPOC, and our mission. These conversations provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing EPDPs and encourage participation from interested stakeholders.

Overall, my attendance at RIPE86 allowed me to broaden my knowledge in various technical areas, engage with professionals in the field, and promote NPOC's mission through informal interactions.