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The assessment tool, unveiled on Thursday 17 October by the ICC’s Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) in partnership with Canada’s Digital Governance Council, aims to facilitate the adoption of Electronic Transferable Records (ETRs) across international supply chains.

The framework enables organisations to gauge whether digital platforms can reliably handle ETRs in accordance with the UN’s 2017 Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), as traditional paper documentation gives way to digital alternatives.

“This launch is an important first step in the development of a framework for ensuring digital trust at scale, an important pillar of the digital trade ecosystem,” said Pamela Mar, managing director of ICC DSI. 

“The reliability assessment framework is a collective effort drawing on the knowledge and work of technical and commercial experts from various entities involved in digital trust, standards, certifications and assessment.”

The tool was developed by a working group comprising standards bodies, technical specialists and industry players, with guidance from ICC DSI’s Industry Advisory Board. Several ETR service providers have already piloted the framework to evaluate its effectiveness and commercial viability.

Keith Jansa, chief executive of the Digital Governance Council of Canada, described the initiative as “groundbreaking” for its potential to advance international standardisation of digital trade services.

The framework has been released as a beta version for self-assessment, with plans for third-party certification under development. Its launch comes as more jurisdictions align their regulations with MLETR, creating a growing demand for standardised reliability assessments in digital trade.

Industry observers suggest the tool could become a key credential for digital trade service providers, accelerating the shift away from paper-based documentation in international trade.