Twenty-Six countries have signed the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, in a landmark move to facilitate international trade, expand access to trade finance and accelerate digitalisation.
The signing ceremony, held in Accra on Monday, October 26, 2026, saw Ghana become the first signatory to the Convention, which seeks to establish a harmonised legal framework for negotiable cargo documents across road, rail, air and sea transport.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare (MP), who spoke on behalf of the President of the Republic, H.E John Dramani Mahama, said the Convention would address longstanding challenges that have limited businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, from accessing finance using goods in transit as collateral.
She noted that while maritime cargo documents have traditionally enabled goods to be sold during transit and used to secure bank financing, comparable arrangements have not been available for goods transported by road, rail and air.
The Minister cited estimates that 80 to 90 per cent of Africa’s freight moves by road, while intra-African trade accounted for only 14.4 per cent of the continent’s total trade in 2024. She also highlighted Africa’s estimated US$74 billion to US$92 billion trade finance gap in 2024.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare explained that the Convention would allow negotiable cargo documents to serve as documents of title across different modes of transport, protect parties relying on them in good faith and give electronic documents the same legal effect as paper versions.
She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to pursuing ratification and reviewing relevant laws on transport, the sale of goods, evidence, electronic transactions and secured lending to support implementation.
The Minister further announced plans to pilot negotiable cargo documents in collaboration with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and banks.
The Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret, commended Ghana for hosting the historic ceremony and acknowledged the cooperation between the Government and the UNCITRAL Secretariat in preparing for the opening of the Convention for signature.
She said the Convention would help reduce legal uncertainty, facilitate trade finance, strengthen supply chains and support digital trade, particularly as African countries deepen regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ms. Joubin-Bret stressed that the signing ceremony was an important first step towards putting the new international legal framework into practice, calling on states to support its wider adoption and implementation.
Heads of delegation from participating countries were also given the opportunity to make statements, highlighting their perspectives on the Convention and its significance for international trade and transport.
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 2025, the Accra Convention takes its name from Ghana’s capital, where it opened for signature. It will enter into force following the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
The List of Countries Signed on
* Ghana
* Sierra Leone
* Burkina Faso
* Cabo Verde
* China
* Comoros
* Côte d’Ivoire
* Cuba
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Mauritania
* Nicaragua
* Nigeria
* Pakistan
* Rwanda
* Saudi Arabia
* South Sudan
* Togo
* Tanzania
* Venezuela
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PR & COMMS UPDATE
