The New Delhi Declaration has significantly expanded the BRICS legal cooperation agenda beyond cross-border fraud, now encompassing alternative dispute resolution (ADR), extradition, asset recovery, cybercrime, and international humanitarian law. According to Business Standard, the declaration calls for deeper legal cooperation on ADR, extradition, asset recovery, terrorism and accountability under international humanitarian law. The document was agreed upon by member countries Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other participating countries. The declaration specifically backs greater cooperation in resolving cross-border commercial disputes and recognised the growing role of ADR mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration, as complements to formal judicial processes. The bloc also sought deeper cooperation against cross-border corruption and economic offenders, with Brics welcoming the establishment of an Expert Network on Asset Recovery and a repository for tracing fugitive offenders wanted in corruption cases.
The declaration calls for enhanced cross-border intelligence sharing among customs authorities, financial intelligence units (FIUs), law enforcement agencies, tax authorities, and regulatory bodies. According to Rediff Moneynews, the grouping has 'further stressed the need to enhance cross-border cooperation among customs authorities, financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, tax authorities and supervisory bodies, including through relevant existing BRICS Working Groups and based on the documents adopted in BRICS'. This coordinated approach aims to counter the threats posed by organised crime networks that exploit digital technologies and payment systems. The declaration emphasizes that such activities may adversely affect economic stability, sustainable development and the integrity of the international financial system. The summit declaration specifically urged member countries to 'stress the need to enhance cross-border cooperation among customs authorities, financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, tax authorities and supervisory bodies, including through relevant existing BRICS Working Groups and based on the documents adopted in BRICS'. The declaration also supports the need for preventing and combating corruption and the continued implementation of relevant international agreements in this regard, in particular the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The declaration specifically addresses the exploitation of digital technologies and payment systems to target vulnerable individuals. As reported by Business Standard, the joint declaration by countries on cross-border fraud, especially through payment systems, is likely the first time that the issue has been raised at such a forum. While several countries have faced this issue for some time, the rise of organised crime rackets that trick people into working against their will to defraud others has been a major concern for countries such as India. The declaration encourages 'enhanced cooperation in strengthening digital financial security, including prevention of fraud in cross-border payment systems'. According to Rediff Moneynews, the summit declaration urges member countries to strengthen safeguards and prevent fraud across international payment systems. The declaration also emphasizes the need to 'underline the need to bolster digital financial security, the summit declaration urged member countries to strengthen safeguards and prevent fraud across international payment systems'. The declaration specifically addresses drug-related money laundering, financial fraud through organised crime, and circumvention of domestic regulatory frameworks that have an adverse impact on economic stability, sustainable development, and the integrity of the international financial system.
The declaration emphasizes accountability for violations of international humanitarian law, with Brics condemning deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, obstruction of humanitarian access and targeting of humanitarian personnel. According to Business Standard, the declaration condemned deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, obstruction of humanitarian access and targeting of humanitarian personnel, and underlined the need to address accountability for all such violations. In the context of Gaza, it referred to the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the proceedings brought by South Africa against Israel and said these reaffirmed Israel's legal obligation to ensure humanitarian aid in Gaza. The declaration also condemned attacks on UNIFIL installations and personnel, violating international law and UNSC Resolution 1701 and called for those responsible to be held accountable. On terrorism, it stated that those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be held accountable and brought to justice under relevant national and international law. Specifically, BRICS condemned the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, and called for the faster adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations.
The New Delhi Declaration 2026 represents a significant step forward in BRICS payment system connectivity, with the grouping backing greater use of local currencies for trade and investment among the 11 member countries. According to the declaration, discussions are underway on using local currencies for trade settlements and investments, while calling for continued work on cross-border payment solutions that are 'fast, low-cost, accessible, efficient, transparent and safe'. The Brics Payment Task Force has been studying ways to make the payment and messaging systems of member countries work better with one another, with the task force specifically asked to continue work on practical cross-border payment arrangements and the interoperability of national payment systems. The objective is to make it easier for a company in one Brics country to pay a supplier in another without every transaction having to rely on the same dollar-based payment route. For smaller businesses, the declaration refers to the Jaipur Consensus and work on an invoice-discounting mechanism, which could help businesses unlock working capital tied up in unpaid invoices and support their participation in international trade. The declaration also welcomed new cooperation mechanisms focused on asset recovery, tracing fugitives and combating cross-border corruption.
The declaration emphasizes a 'no one-size-fits-all approach' to reducing dollar dependence, with China being the largest economy in Brics and the renminbi being the most internationally used currency among the grouping's members. According to reports, this creates another complication for any attempt to reduce dollar dependence, as greater use of local currencies does not necessarily mean replacing dollar dependence with dependence on the Chinese currency. A system based on multiple bilateral arrangements gives members more flexibility over which currencies they use. The grouping can pursue greater local-currency settlement without requiring all members to move at the same pace or adopt the same currency. The New Development Bank is also seeking to expand local-currency financing, while the bloc has backed measures to strengthen supply chains and increase the participation of emerging economies in higher-value manufacturing. The declaration also endorsed a Brics Global Value Chains Action Plan for 2026–2030 and called for greater trade facilitation and digitalisation of trade documents. The declaration also voiced concern over the rise of unilateral tariffs, non-tariff barriers and protectionist measures, saying they disrupt global trade and supply chains, and called for the restoration of a fully functioning, two-tier World Trade Organization dispute-settlement mechanism, including the appointment of new members to the WTO Appellate Body.
