Thanks for sharing the proposed new guidelines. I'd like to echo Aftab's concerns 100%.
I was one of the community instigators proposing an equivalent to the RIPE Working Groups for our region back at the start of this century. Of course, we do not have an equivalent of RIPE here (the closest I suppose was the long gone APNG - Asia Pacific Networking Group), so the best fit equivalent was to create Working Groups with administrative support of APNIC. Our intention very clearly was NOT to create APNIC sub-committees, but fora for like minded folks to discuss, coming up with recommendations, best practice, you name it. It was the previous APNIC DG who requested they be called Special Interest Groups, rather than Working Groups as we wanted (which I felt neutralised the intent that we really wanted to do *work* as the RIPE Working Groups do).
I have serious concerns about giving the APNIC EC any authority to remove SIG Chairs, or indeed any authority over the SIGs. SIGs are community gatherings, organised by the community for the community to discuss topics as per the SIG's area of interest. APNIC provides administrative support. The SIGs are not convened or created or driven by APNIC, and the intention has always been that neither the EC nor the Secretariat have any authority to make changes at their leisure or pleasure, as the updated guidelines are proposing.
The wording around "APNIC Conference" needs to be fixed. APNIC 62 upcoming is, of course an APNIC Conference, but APNIC's meeting held as part of APRICOT is not an "APNIC Conference". APNIC 63 next year in Hong Kong is a fully integral part of the APRICOT 2027 Summit which is organised by APNOG. Also what if the "APNIC Conference" happens, but the SIG does not meet for that specific event? There is no requirement that the SIG *must* meet every 6 months, is there? I recommend fixing the wording; perhaps "SIG Meeting" would be better as it is then very clear that the Chair or Co-Chair has to attend (in person or online) a proportion of the SIG Meetings during their tenure of the role.
Finally, I'm baffled why "APNIC Member" has any relevance for who can or cannot vote for SIG Chairs. The regular participants of the SIG nominate and vote for their Chairs - nothing to do with APNIC membership. Over the years, SIG Chairs have been voted for during the SIG Meeting held during the APRICOT Summit, as that guarantees the largest attendance of regular SIG participants, giving the best opportunity for broadest community input into their specific SIG's content and direction.
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