Governance
Calls grow for a clean break in APNIC governance
Lu Heng criticises APNIC governance, calling for leadership accountability and a clean break from past structures.
Headline
Lu Heng criticises APNIC governance, calling for leadership accountability and a clean break from past structures.
Context
Lu Heng is the chief executive of LARUS Limited and founder of the LARUS Foundation, with experience across internet infrastructure, IP address markets and global internet governance. In his analysis, Lu Heng focuses on APNIC ’s historical governance arrangements, particularly the concentration of legal and operational power in the role of the Director General . He notes that for many years, APNIC operated under a structure in which a single individual effectively held ownership-like authority, a setup Lu describes as incompatible with the principles of a member-based, bottom-up organisation.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
According to Lu, this concentration of power weakened internal checks and balances and reduced meaningful oversight by the broader membership. While APNIC has since announced governance changes intended to separate executive authority from legal control, Lu argues these steps came too late and fail to address the loss of trust accumulated over years of opaque decision-making. Lu also questions the accountability of those who designed, defended or benefited from the previous structure. He contends that genuine reform requires not only new rules but also leadership responsibility, warning that allowing the same figures to remain in control risks repeating past failures under a different framework. Beyond leadership, Lu highlights structural barriers faced by APNIC members across the region. He points to Australia’s legal and geographic setting as limiting accessibility for many members, particularly those from developing economies, citing visa restrictions, travel costs and legal complexity. In contrast, he suggests jurisdictions such as Singapore may better support a truly member-driven non-profit model. Also read: APNIC 60 brings internet governance and policy reform to Da Nang in September Also read: APNIC 60 workshops kick off in Da Nang
Key Points
- Lu Heng argues APNIC’s governance structure has long concentrated power and undermined member accountability
- He urges leadership change and a fundamental reset rather than incremental reform
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
