·
The Department of Legal Affairs under India’s Ministry of Law and Justice
is hosting the BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting (19–20 May 2026) and the BRICS Justice
Ministers’ Meeting (21–22 May 2026) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
·
India is chairing the BRICS Justice Ministers’ Meeting under its 2026 BRICS
Chairship.
·
Participating BRICS countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa.
·
The meetings focus on strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR),
especially mediation and arbitration.
·
Senior officials will deliberate on:
o Institutional mediation
o Arbitration reforms
o ADR in commercial and public sector disputes
o ADR-based reforms to reduce judicial backlog
o Faster and cost-effective dispute resolution
systems
·
Justice Ministers are expected to adopt a Joint Statement on ADR-led cooperation
within the BRICS framework.
·
Proposed areas of cooperation include:
o Sharing ADR best practices
o Capacity building and training programmes
o Model rules and legal frameworks
o Digital dispute resolution platforms
o Professional exchanges and workshops
·
The initiative aims to strengthen:
o Court-referred mediation
o Pre-litigation mediation
o Institutional arbitration systems
o Cooperation among arbitration and mediation
centres
·
Discussions will also promote:
o Cross-border commercial dispute resolution
o Legal research and comparative BRICS jurisprudence
o Harmonisation of laws related to trade
and environment
o Training for government legal officers
·
The meetings will feature plenary sessions and bilateral exchanges to develop
concrete cooperation projects and institutional partnerships.
·
The final outcome will be a Declaration of the Justice Ministers of the BRICS
Countries on “Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution through Capacity Building
in Mediation and Arbitration.”
·
Hosting the event in Gandhinagar highlights the city’s growing importance
as a venue for international legal and multilateral engagements under India’s BRICS
Chairship.
[ABS News Service/18.05.2026]
The Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry
of Law and Justice, Government of India, under the aegis of India’s BRICS Chairship, is hosting the BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting
(SOM) on 19–20 May 2026, followed by the BRICS Justice Ministers’ Meeting (JMM)
on 21–22 May 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. India will chair BRICS Justice Ministers’
Meeting this year.
The SOM will bring together senior officials
from BRICS member States—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to deliberate
on priority ADR‑related issues, including institutional mediation, arbitration
reforms, and the role of ADR in commercial and public‑sector disputes. The
discussions will also examine the implementation of ADR‑centric reforms, which
have been highlighted in BRICS forums as model interventions for reducing case backlogs
and enhancing timely, cost‑effective dispute resolution.
The JMM will provide a ministerial platform
for BRICS Ministers of Justice to adopt a Joint Statement on ADR‑led Cooperation
in the BRICS Framework, setting out concrete commitments to share best practices,
strengthen institutional capacity, and explore collaborative ADR‑related initiatives
such as training programmes, model rules, and digital dispute‑resolution platforms.
The meetings underscore India’s leadership in promoting ADR as a core component
of modern legal‑system reform and as a vital tool for delivering accessible,
speedy and affordable justice to citizens.
The choice of Gandhinagar, Gujarat, as
the venue reflects the city’s emergence as a hub for major international legal and
multilateral events under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship.
Key objectives and expected outcomes:
The BRICS Justice Ministers will promote
dialogue and cooperation on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), particularly mediation
and arbitration, by facilitating exchange of best practices, policy approaches,
and institutional experiences; strengthening professional capacity and institutional
ecosystems through training, professional exchanges, joint workshops, and knowledge
sharing platforms for mediators, arbitrators, judges, government legal officers,
and legal professionals; enhancing court referred and pre litigation mediation;
fostering institutional cooperation among arbitration centres, mediation institutions,
and legal training bodies; leveraging digital technologies to improve accessibility,
efficiency, supporting cooperation on cross border commercial disputes; advancing
legal research and comparative study of BRICS jurisprudence to harmonise laws on
trade, and environment; and promoting training for government legal officers.
The meetings will include plenary sessions,
and bilateral exchanges aimed at concrete cooperation initiatives, capacity‑building
projects, and institutional linkages. Outcomes will be consolidated in a Declaration
of the Justice Ministers of the BRICS Countries on “Strengthening Alternative
Dispute Resolution through Capacity Building in Mediation and Arbitration”.