Dear friends, After much unexpected delay, I am at last ready to ask you to read and comment on this DRAFT statement of principles for remuneration of the RIPE Chairs, which follows from a recommendation of the RIPE 2020 Nominating Committee. As your mail-reading app allows, you may choose to read this message either as plain text or as HTML; I also attach a PDF edition. I look forward to reading your comments. Best regards, Niall O'Reilly, RIPE Vice-Chair --- # Principles for Remuneration of the RIPE Chairs ## Notes for editorial attention This section is to be removed prior to publication. - Assign RIPE document number - Identify authors and acknowledge other contributors after obtaining corresponding consent from each. - Ensure that references are current. ## Introduction The RIPE Chair and Vice-Chair (together, the RIPE Chairs) have roles described in *The RIPE Chair* ([ripe-714][]). They are selected according to the process set out in *The RIPE Chair Selection Process* ([ripe-727][]). Over the years taking on the role of a RIPE Chair has become a significant commitment, as recognized in discussions on the RIPE Discussion List in [2017][initial discussion] and [2018][call for further discussion]. The sensitivity to conflicts of interest has increased too. In 2020 the RIPE Nominating committee selected Mirjam Kühne as RIPE Chair. Mirjam needed to resign from her job with the RIPE NCC before taking on the role. On recommendation by the Nominations Committee the RIPE NCC offered to provide reasonable remuneration while making [arrangements][] so that Mirjam can act without undue influence from the RIPE NCC. During this process questions were raised from the community about providing remuneration for RIPE Chairs and specifically whether it is appropriate that the RIPE NCC provides such funding. The RIPE Nominating committee made this recommendation (among others) in its report ( [ripe-762][]), *“Document community consensus about remuneration of the RIPE Chairs”*. At the time of writing the community has had some experience with the [arrangements][] mentioned above. ## Scope This document describes the principles of the RIPE community for remuneration of the RIPE Chairs including requests to the RIPE NCC in this regard. ## Principles The community wishes to be sure that the RIPE Chairs are able to put in the necessary effort for their roles and to stay clear of the perception of undue influence. RIPE Chairs will disclose to the community all potential conflicts of interest arising from their role as RIPE Chair as they arise including how they address them. In particular they will disclose their significant means of subsistence. RIPE Chair nominees will make this disclosure to the RIPE Nominating Committee. The community requests that the RIPE NCC continue to reimburse the expenses incurred by the RIPE Chairs in their roles. The community requests that, upon request by a RIPE Chair, the RIPE NCC provides appropriate remuneration for the time the RIPE Chair spends fulfilling their role. The community requests that the concrete arrangements for this shall ensure that the RIPE Chairs can perform their duties without undue influence from the RIPE NCC and that the RIPE NCC informs the community how this is arranged. The community requests the RIPE NCC Executive Board take responsibility for implementing these concrete arrangements. The community requests that the RIPE NCC continues to disclose the total cost of RIPE Chair support including expenses and any remuneration. ## Provenance The RIPE Chairs started working on this document in mid-2022, taking advice from the RIPE NCC. Daniel Karrenberg subsequently made a more concise draft on request of the RIPE Chairs. The RIPE NCC has indicated that it will consider the requests made in this document once the community reaches consensus on the final text. ## Historical and prospective timeline - 2017-11-25: [initial discussion][] on RIPE Discussion List started by Erik Bais - 2018-02-19: [call for further discussion][] by Nigel Titley - late 2022: preparation of draft proposal - 2023-03-07: initial draft released for community discussion - 202y-mm-dd: call for consensus issued - 202y-mm-dd: consensus declared - 202y-mm-dd: published as RIPE-nnnn ## Acknowledgements - RIPE 2020 Nominating Committee ## References - *The RIPE Chair* ([ripe-714][]) - *The RIPE Chair Selection Process* ([ripe-727][]) - *2020 RIPE Nominating Committee Report* ([ripe-762][]) --- [ripe-714]: https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-714/ [ripe-762]: https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-762/ [ripe-727]: https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-727/ [initial discussion]: https://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/ripe-list/2017-November/001268.html [call for further discussion]: https://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/ripe-list/2018-February/001334.html [arrangements]: https://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/ripe-list/2020-August/001945.html ---