Ghana begins ratification process for signing negotiable cargo documentation

The Government of Ghana has announced plans to begin the domestic legal processes towards ratifying the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, following its signing by 26 countries in Accra on Monday.

Speaking on behalf of President Mahama at the signing ceremony, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the Convention would help address existing gaps in cargo documentation across the road, rail and air transport sectors.

The Minister noted the importance of facilitating the movement of goods across Africa to promote intra-African trade and strengthen regional integration.

She said the Convention applies to goods in transit, provides protection for buyers and banks that rely on negotiable cargo documents and recognises electronic documents as having the same legal effect as paper-based documents.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare announced that her Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other stakeholders, would initiate the necessary legal processes towards ratification, with the aim of positioning Ghana among the first countries to ratify the Convention.

She added that Ghana's role as host of the signing ceremony would be more meaningful if followed by concrete steps towards ratification and implementation, and expressed the country's desire to see other Member States support the Convention.

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, welcomed participants on behalf of the Government and People of Ghana and said international cooperation remained important in the face of global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions.

He also encouraged United Nations Member States to sign, ratify and implement the Accra Convention to enable countries to fully benefit from its provisions, including support for regional integration and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

The Secretary of UNCITRAL and Director of the International Trade Law Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Anna Joubin-Bret, thanked the Government of Ghana for hosting the ceremony and said the Convention was intended to reduce legal uncertainty in international trade and facilitate the movement of goods across borders.

According to her, the Convention, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2025, would achieve its objectives through widespread adoption and effective implementation by Member States.

Representatives of participating Member States thanked the Government and People of Ghana for hosting the ceremony and said the Convention would help facilitate international trade, improve cargo movement and strengthen cooperation among countries.

The signing ceremony, hosted by the Government of Ghana, coincided with the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and brought together representatives of Member States and key stakeholders to advance international cooperation in trade law.