eBRAM Fully Supports Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address

(Hong Kong, 16 September 2026) – In response to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s today’s publication of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Economic and Social Development First Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and the new Policy Address, which set out a series of initiatives to deepen Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre and to build a “Global Capital of Mediation”, eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre (“eBRAM”) expresses its warm welcome and full support, and will actively co-operate in implementing the relevant policies to jointly promote the digitalisation and internationalisation of Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution services.

As one of the organisations that participated in the public consultation for the Five-Year Plan, eBRAM submitted a series of policy recommendations during the consultation, covering the deepening of the development of an international legal and dispute resolution services center, the promotion of legal technology and AI applications, support for enterprises going global and high value-added supply chain services, deepening the rule alignment and mechanism connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and strengthening arbitration and mediation collaboration and legal talent cultivation. eBRAM is pleased to see that the Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address have put forward concrete measures in the relevant areas, fully reflecting the Government’s extensive engagement with society and the industry, and its proactive response to Hong Kong’s future development needs. eBRAM particularly welcomes the Policy Address’s proposal to fully leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages of its common law system under “One Country, Two Systems”, to enhance diversified dispute resolution services including litigation, arbitration and mediation, to fully support the development of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Hong Kong, and to build Hong Kong into a “Global Capital of Mediation”.

Supporting the Building of “Global Capital of Mediation” and Consolidating Hong Kong’s Position as a Preferred International Arbitration Seat

eBRAM fully supports the Policy Address’s continued promotion of “mediate first” and the deepening of the mediation culture, and welcomes the Government’s continued support for the work of the IOMed headquartered in Hong Kong. eBRAM believes that the relevant work will further consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution hub in the Asia-Pacific region. In respect of community mediation, eBRAM will continue to leverage its experience with its online mediation platform to actively explore extending Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) services to building management and neighbourhood disputes. eBRAM also supports the Department of Justice’s acceptance of the seven recommendations made by the Working Group on Mediation Regulatory System, and welcomes the Government’s plan to introduce a bill into the Legislative Council by the end of this year to improve the accreditation and disciplinary system for mediators and to build a higher-quality mediation talent pool with international vision and professional ethics.

eBRAM welcomes the Policy Address’s advancement of the International Commercial Court, and its reference to the recommendations of the Working Group on Arbitration Law Reform to complete the amendment of the Arbitration Ordinance within next year to continuously optimise Hong Kong’s arbitration legal framework. As the only listed ODR provider in Hong Kong under the APEC ODR Framework, eBRAM will continue to combine technologies such as AI, big data, blockchain and digital signatures to provide secure, reliable and legally protected digital solutions for arbitration, mediation and cross-border disputes, in support of Hong Kong’s position as a preferred international arbitration venue.

Supporting Enterprise “GoGlobal”, Empowering SMEs and High Value-Added Supply Chains

The Policy Address explicitly proposes to provide first-class international professional legal services for Mainland enterprises to “go global”, and the Five-Year Plan also proposes to enhance Hong Kong’s function as a platform for Mainland enterprises going global. eBRAM will actively co-operate with the Department of Justice’s “Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform”, and through its self-developed Deal-Making Portal (DMP) and the “GoGlobal eHub”, integrate legal, arbitration, mediation, compliance and professional services resources to assist enterprises from business matching and risk management to dispute resolution, building a full-chain support service system covering deal facilitation, dispute prevention and dispute resolution.
eBRAM will focus on the digital transformation and cross-border transaction needs of SMEs, and further promote the application of smart contracts, blockchain evidence preservation and digital signatures by SMEs, to achieve seamless, trustworthy and legally protected cross-border transaction processes. eBRAM believes that the relevant measures will help enterprises address potential risks and compliance challenges in cross-border transactions, accelerate international co-operation and project development, and assist Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises in exploring emerging market opportunities.

Deepening GBA Rule Alignment and Mechanism Connectivity

eBRAM is pleased to see that the Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address will continue to deepen rule alignment and mechanism connectivity, including establishing a Task Force on Expediting the Alignment of Rules and Mechanisms in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, explore pathways to promote the formulation of the GBA model arbitration rules, supporting the regularisation of the GBA Lawyers' Scheme for GBA lawyers, and enhance the Cross-boundary Service of Judicial Documents. eBRAM also welcomes the Government’s promotion of the establishment of a GBA arbitration platform, the promotion of GBA mediation standards, and the deepening of legal talent mobility, to further enhance the efficiency and convenience of cross-border legal services.
To promote collaboration on legal and dispute resolution resources in the GBA, eBRAM led the establishment of the “GBA Online Dispute Resolution Collaborative Platform” in 2024, bringing together major arbitration and mediation institutions in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to continuously promote professional exchange, rule alignment and co-operative development. eBRAM also continues to deepen exchanges and collaboration with major co-operation platforms in Qianhai, Nansha and Hetao, carrying out a number of exchange activities, professional training and co-operation projects on cross-border dispute resolution, foreign-related legal talent cultivation, legal technology innovation and application, and GBA rule of law integration, actively promoting the connectivity of legal and professional services resources between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Promoting Legal Technology and AI Applications, and Cultivating Interdisciplinary Talent

eBRAM is pleased to see that the Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address propose to comprehensively advance the “AI+” initiative, improve the legal framework for AI and data applications, and promote digital governance, cross-border data flows and innovation and technology development. As a local Hong Kong legal technology institution, eBRAM has over the years continued to invest in legal technology R&D and application, establishing an online dispute resolution platform integrated with AI technology, promoting innovation in electronic identity authentication, electronic evidence management, smart translation and digital arbitration and mediation services, and actively exploring the practical application of AI and digital technologies in the legal services sector.

eBRAM also continues to participate in emerging areas such as intellectual property, domain name disputes, cultural and creative industries, and sports dispute resolution, actively promoting the integration of legal technology with emerging industries. In terms of talent cultivation, eBRAM will continue to launch a series of professional training courses to actively cultivate arbitrators, mediators and legal professionals capable of handling cross-border digital disputes.

eBRAM also warmly welcomes the Policy Address’s proposal to continue to implement the “Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution” in collaboration with the legal and sports sectors, and to explore co-operation with international and regional sports organisations to build Hong Kong into an international sports dispute resolution centre. eBRAM has been appointed by the Department of Justice as the technology service provider for the “Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution”, and is using its self-developed one-stop online dispute resolution platform to provide the sports sector with efficient and convenient online solutions tailored to the professional needs of sports disputes. eBRAM will continue to support the implementation of the pilot scheme and contribute to improving Hong Kong’s sports dispute resolution mechanism and promoting the sustainable development of the sports industry.

Looking ahead, eBRAM will continue to leverage its strengths in legal technology and international dispute resolution, align with national development strategies and the Government’s policy directions, promote innovation in arbitration, mediation and online dispute resolution, deepen GBA collaboration, support enterprises going global, and deepen the application of ODR and DMP, promoting the implementation of technologies such as AI, blockchain and digital signatures. eBRAM will also seize the opportunities presented by the National 15th Five-Year Plan, GBA development, the Belt and Road Initiative, the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong International Legal Hub, strengthen international and GBA collaboration, tell the story of Hong Kong’s rule of law well, and contribute to the national development of foreign-related rule of law. eBRAM firmly believes that, with the advantages of “One Country, Two Systems” and the empowerment of legal technology, Hong Kong will further consolidate its position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre; eBRAM will, as always, fully co-operate to make greater contributions to building a “Global Capital of Mediation” and promoting high-quality development.