Accra:Ghana is set to host the signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents on October 26, 2026. This event aims to advance the digitalisation of international trade documentation and will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
According to Ghana Web, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers' Authority, Professor Ransford Gyampo, announced the event during a media engagement in Accra. He highlighted that the ceremony represents an opportunity for Ghana to demonstrate its commitment to trade facilitation, digital transformation, and stronger regional and international trade connectivity.
The convention seeks to create a harmonised legal framework for electronic negotiable cargo documents, allowing them to function equivalently to their paper-based counterparts. These documents, including bills of lading, play a crucial role in international trade by representing rights to goods in transit and supporting commercial transactions.
Professor Gyampo emphasized the potential benefits of moving away from paper-based documentation, which can cause delays, increase costs, and expose transactions to fraud. He noted that the convention would help reduce delays, improve transaction efficiency, and support more integrated digital supply chains.
Stella Ansha, a director at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, expressed Ghana's enthusiasm for hosting the event. She explained that the convention addresses gaps in the use of negotiable cargo documents for goods transported by modes other than sea, such as road, rail, and air freight.
The legal framework proposed by the convention could improve access to finance, create opportunities for small and women-led businesses, and strengthen links between landlocked countries and global markets. Ansha disclosed that Ghana plans to sign the convention and proceed with ratification, with over ten countries expected to sign during the ceremony.
Professor Gyampo noted that hosting the signing aligns with Ghana's ambition to become a preferred trade and logistics hub in West Africa and supports the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He cautioned, however, that the benefits of the convention depend on its adoption, ratification, and implementation, as well as the readiness of various stakeholders to use electronic negotiable cargo documents.