Ghana is positioning itself to play a leading role in the adoption and implementation of the Accra Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents across the ECOWAS region. The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, announced this during a one-day virtual sensitisation programme on the Convention organised for ECOWAS Member States on October 7, 2026.
The Accra Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 2025, through Resolution 80/162. The Convention establishes common rules for the use of negotiable cargo documents in paper or electronic form for goods transported across different modes, including road, rail and air. This aims to facilitate trade finance, the sale of goods in transit, multimodal transport and the digitalisation of international trade.
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, emphasised that the Convention presents an opportunity to address longstanding challenges associated with financing and trading goods transported by land and air. She also highlighted that it will strengthen regional trade and integration. The Convention will be opened for signature in Accra on October 26, 2026, making Ghana the host of a significant international treaty-signing event.
Madam Ofosu-Adjare described the sensitisation programme as an important opportunity for ECOWAS Member States to develop a common understanding of the Convention and assess its implications for trade and regional integration. She urged participating countries to examine the Convention against their respective national legal frameworks and return to their governments with clear recommendations on the way forward.
The Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Anna Joubin-Bret, and the Director of Trade at the ECOWAS Commission, Kolawole Sofola, encouraged Member States and other stakeholders to participate fully in the process. They called for stronger regional and international support for the Convention’s signature, ratification and effective implementation.
The Convention will enter into force 180 days after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Ghana has expressed readiness to welcome ECOWAS Member States and stakeholders from around the world to Accra for the signing ceremony. This demonstrates Ghana's commitment to the Convention and its implementation.
The adoption and implementation of the Accra Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents are expected to have a positive impact on trade finance, cross-border commerce and digital cargo documentation in the ECOWAS region. Ghana's leadership role in this process is expected to promote regional trade and integration, and support the growth of the regional economy.
Key points
- Ghana will host the signing ceremony for the Accra Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents on October 26, 2026.
- The Convention aims to facilitate trade finance, the sale of goods in transit, multimodal transport and the digitalisation of international trade.
- The Convention will enter into force 180 days after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
