On September 22, 2026, a seminar dedicated to mutual recognition of electronic signatures among BRICS countries was held in Hangzhou. The event was hosted by the Secretariat of the China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries and organized by eSign.AI, drawing more than 50 representatives from government departments, trade and industry associations, universities and think tanks, and leading enterprises.

Why cross-border e-signature recognition matters

Electronic signatures are core infrastructure for digital trade and a key link in building digital trust. BRICS now counts 11 member states and 10 partner countries, and cross-border digital trade among them keeps growing. Yet businesses still run into a "one country, one signature" barrier: a signature accepted in one market is not automatically recognized in another, so cross-border transactions carry extra cost, delay and legal uncertainty. Mutual recognition of electronic signatures directly raises trade facilitation and deepens digital cooperation across the bloc.

From research to a working consensus

Ahead of the seminar, the Secretariat, together with the China Society of Private International Law (CSPIL), completed a research report on promoting mutual recognition of electronic signatures among BRICS countries. The report maps the policy, legal and technical differences between member states and identifies the practical obstacles standing in the way of recognition.

At the seminar, participants examined the institutional basis for recognition, the differences in laws and standards, cross-border trusted interoperability, international experience and practical pathways. They reviewed the realities that currently block recognition, shared e-certification industry practice and regional mutual recognition pilot experience, and discussed technical approaches and cooperation models for a cross-border trust service framework.

The participants agreed on four points. Recognition must respect each country's institutional differences. It should be built on a comparison of assurance levels. It should move from pilot to broader rollout. And legal rules, technical standards, trust services and dispute resolution need to advance together.

What comes next

The Secretariat will consolidate the expert input from the seminar, refine the research report, and release the findings at the BRICS Special Economic Zones Hangzhou Dialogue on September 24.

As a global digital trust provider, eSign.AI will continue to contribute its accumulated CA integration experience and platform capabilities to a BRICS digital trust network that is open, compatible, secure and trustworthy — supporting the growth of digital trade among BRICS countries. This is the same interoperability problem we help enterprises solve every day in cross-border signing, from recognition across markets to emerging-market eID routes.

Event: BRICS Electronic Signature Mutual Recognition Seminar, Hangzhou, September 22, 2026. Organized by eSign.AI.