Twenty-six countries signed a United Nations convention in Ghana’s capital on Monday aimed at reducing legal uncertainties and streamlining the movement of goods across international borders, marking a significant step toward modernizing global trade documentation.
The signing ceremony for the UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, now known as the Accra Convention, was hosted by the Ghanaian government and coincided with the 60th anniversary of the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2025.
The first signatories include Ghana, China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Venezuela, among others. The agreement establishes a uniform legal framework for negotiable cargo documents—a new type of document of title, in paper or electronic form, that represents goods in transit regardless of transport mode.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, highlighted three key features of the convention: its application to goods in transit, the protection it provides to buyers and banks relying on such documents, and the recognition of electronic documents as having the same legal effect as paper equivalents. She announced that Ghana aims to become one of the first countries to ratify the agreement.
The convention is designed to extend the benefits of negotiable documents—traditionally associated with maritime bills of lading—to road, rail, and air transport. Proponents say this could facilitate trade finance, enable the sale of goods while in transit, and support the digitalization of global supply chains.
UNCITRAL Secretary Anna Joubin-Bret stressed that the agreement’s benefits would depend on widespread adoption and effective implementation by member states. The convention will enter into force 180 days after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession.
The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, with representatives from participating countries and international organizations in attendance.
