I see 2008-03 as an exercise in fairness, a way to evenly distribute the last few /8s, rather than reaching a point where, particularly, AfriNIC and LACNIC need more addresses and find there to be none.
more than that, it is an exercise in planning. an rir can count on having one last /8 instead of hitting the wall in surprise when their sibling got there ten minutes prior.
However it strikes me that this policy is completely incompatible with 2007-09.
this is not an accident. the author of -9 is in extreme opposition to -3 and has crafted -9 to very intentionally nullify and circumvent -3. it is notable that -3 got massive support in the arin meeting, and is generally supported in the other regions though not yet passed, and -9 has been pretty much rejected worldwide. randy