Accra Convention signed by 26 nations to modernize cargo documentation

Representatives from 26 countries signed the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents in Accra, Ghana, on October 26, 2026. The agreement, informally called the Accra Convention, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2025 to harmonize international trade rules.

The convention establishes legal frameworks for negotiable cargo documents, such as bills of lading, across road, rail, air, and maritime networks. A key feature of the agreement is granting electronic cargo documents the same legal standing as paper records, facilitating the digital transformation of global trade.

By securing transactions and providing legal protection to buyers and banks, the convention aims to reduce logistical constraints and improve access to credit, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Officials noted the agreement's potential to strengthen trade integration across the African continent and modernize commercial environments.