The United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents establishes a harmonised legal framework for paper-based and electronic negotiable cargo documents across all transport modes, potentially transforming multimodal logistics, international trade finance and cross-border supply chains.
The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) has welcomed the signing of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, widely known as the Accra Convention, describing it as a significant milestone in the development of multimodal transport and digital international trade.
The Convention was opened for signature in Accra, Ghana, on 26 October 2026, with 26 countries signing the agreement at the official ceremony.
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Developed under the auspices of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the Convention establishes a harmonised and technology-neutral legal framework for negotiable cargo documents across road, rail, sea and air transport, recognising both traditional paper documents and their electronic equivalents.
The agreement addresses a longstanding gap in international trade law, where negotiable transport documents have historically been associated primarily with maritime shipping, despite the growing importance of multimodal logistics and integrated supply chains.
By extending the legal recognition of negotiable cargo documents across all transport modes, the framework is intended to facilitate more flexible end-to-end transportation, strengthen legal certainty and improve access to trade finance.
A new legal framework for multimodal trade
Modern international supply chains increasingly depend on the movement of goods across multiple transport modes, borders and jurisdictions. However, differences in national legislation and documentation requirements have historically created challenges for businesses seeking to use negotiable transport documents beyond maritime shipping.
The Accra Convention aims to address these limitations by establishing common rules governing the issuance, transfer and use of negotiable cargo documents, regardless of the transport mode involved.
A key provision is the recognition of electronic negotiable cargo documents, giving them a legal framework comparable to traditional paper-based documents.
The Convention also provides for a single negotiable cargo document to cover an entire transport journey, potentially reducing administrative complexity, improving operational efficiency and facilitating customs procedures.
For freight forwarders, airlines, shipping companies and logistics providers, the development could support greater integration between transport networks and simplify the documentation requirements associated with international multimodal movements.
UNCITRAL has highlighted the potential of the framework to facilitate the sale of goods while in transit, support trade finance and improve access to international markets.
Opportunities for emerging markets and SMEs
The Convention is expected to have particular significance for emerging economies, landlocked countries and businesses operating across developing trade corridors.
For these markets, efficient connections between road, rail, air and maritime networks are essential to accessing international supply chains. A harmonised legal framework could help reduce documentary barriers and provide greater flexibility when arranging end-to-end transportation.
Improved recognition of negotiable cargo documents could also create new opportunities for trade financing, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Negotiable documents can provide banks and other financial institutions with greater legal certainty when financing goods in transit, while allowing businesses to use cargo documentation as part of commercial transactions.
This could be particularly valuable for companies that face difficulties accessing traditional trade finance facilities.
The Convention therefore has implications extending beyond transport documentation, potentially strengthening the relationship between logistics, international banking and global commerce.
FIATA highlights readiness of FBL and eFBL solutions
FIATA played an active role in the development of the Convention, contributing the operational experience and practical requirements of the international freight forwarding industry to discussions under UNCITRAL.
The organisation worked alongside industry stakeholders, including the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Banking Commission, to ensure that the framework reflected the realities of modern multimodal transport and commercial practice.
A central element of FIATA’s contribution has been its longstanding negotiable FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL), together with its electronic counterpart, the FIATA electronic Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (eFBL).
These established documentation solutions are intended to provide practical instruments for implementing the Convention’s provisions on negotiable cargo documents and electronic negotiable cargo documents.
FIATA has also undertaken real-world transactions to test the application of the new framework using its eFBL across international trade routes, including:
Kazakhstan–China.
China–Georgia.
Turkmenistan–Romania.
These transactions have covered rail and multimodal movements, demonstrating the potential for electronic negotiable documentation to support international supply chains and trade financing.
Dr Stéphane Graber, Director General of FIATA, said:
“Today marks an exciting milestone for global trade. The Accra Convention reflects how goods actually move today: across modes, borders and increasingly important trade corridors. It creates new possibilities for businesses, particularly in emerging and landlocked markets where efficient multimodal connectivity is essential.
“FIATA is proud to have contributed the practical experience and voice of freight forwarders to this landmark framework. And we are ready for the next step. Through the FBL and eFBL, our industry already has established solutions that can put the Convention in practice from day one.”
Graber added that FIATA would continue working with governments, its members and international partners to translate the new legal framework into practical commercial opportunities.
Twenty-six countries sign the Convention in Accra
The official signing ceremony brought together representatives of 26 countries, underlining international interest in establishing a common legal framework for negotiable cargo documentation.
The signatories recorded by the United Nations Treaty Collection on 26 October 2026 are:
Burkina Faso 2. Cabo Verde 3. China 4. Comoros 5. Côte d’Ivoire 6. Cuba 7. Democratic Republic of the Congo 8. Djibouti 9. Dominica 10. Dominican Republic 11. Gabon 12. The Gambia 13. Ghana 14. Guinea 15. Guinea-Bissau 16. Mauritania 17. Nicaragua 18. Nigeria 19. Pakistan 20. Rwanda 21. Saudi Arabia 22. Sierra Leone 23. South Sudan 24. Tanzania 25. Togo 26. Venezuela
The participation of countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America reflects the Convention’s relevance to a broad range of international trade corridors.
Ghana’s role as host is particularly significant, with the country positioning itself as an important supporter of trade facilitation and regional economic integration, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ratification and implementation: the next challenge
While the signing represents a major milestone, the Convention must progress through national ratification and implementation procedures before its provisions become operational.
According to the United Nations Treaty Collection, the Convention will enter into force 180 days after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
Signature alone does not constitute ratification or bring the Convention into force.
Governments will therefore need to undertake the necessary domestic legal procedures to give effect to its provisions and ensure that national legal frameworks recognise the new negotiable cargo documentation system.
The Convention’s long-term impact will depend on the speed of ratification, the consistency of national implementation and the willingness of financial institutions, transport operators, freight forwarders and shippers to adopt the framework.
For the international logistics industry, the Accra Convention represents an important opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional transport documentation and the increasingly digital, interconnected nature of global supply chains.
If widely adopted, it could provide the legal foundation for a more seamless multimodal trading environment, allowing goods to move more efficiently while improving access to financing and international markets.
