Rwanda and 25 other countries in Accra, Ghana, on Monday, October 26, signed a United Nations convention aimed at easing cross-border trade by allowing businesses to transfer rights to goods while they are still in transit and use them to access financing. Signed in Ghana, the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, also known as the Accra Convention, establishes a common legal framework for documents representing goods transported by road, rail, air or sea. ALSO READ: Rwanda to lead largest UN coalition of developing countries Adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 15, 2025, it extends the benefits of negotiable cargo documents beyond maritime shipping, where they have long been used to facilitate trade and financing. The convention is expected to simplify cargo transactions, reduce paperwork and make it easier for businesses to obtain financing against goods being transported, particularly in trade involving different countries and modes of transport. According to the Rwandan Embassy in Ghana, Ambassador Rosemary Mbabazi, who represented the government at the signing ceremony, said that Rwanda was committed to implementing the convention and urged other signatories to translate their commitments into tangible trade gains. How the convention will help businesses Under existing arrangements, maritime shipping uses documents such as bills of lading, which allow traders to sell, transfer or pledge goods as security for financing before they arrive at their destination. However, documents commonly used for road, rail and air transport generally do not carry the same negotiable legal status. This limits traders’ ability to transfer rights to goods or use them to secure financing while cargo is still moving between countries. The convention seeks to address this gap by introducing negotiable cargo documents that can be used across different modes of transport. A single document can cover an entire journey, even when goods move between trucks, trains, ships or aircraft before reaching their destination. The framework could also make it easier for businesses to use goods in transit to seek financing, subject to lenders’ requirements and applicable national laws. In addition, it is expected to reduce documentation requirements, facilitate customs clearance and improve the efficiency of cross-border transactions. By recognising electronic negotiable cargo documents alongside paper versions, the convention provides a legal basis for conducting more trade-related transactions digitally. These changes could benefit importers, exporters, transport operators and financial institutions by making it easier to manage goods and the transactions associated with them while they are in transit. What happens next? Although the convention was opened for signature in Accra, the signing does not make a country legally bound by the treaty. It will enter into force after 10 states have ratified or acceded to it. Implementation will also require governments to put the necessary legal and administrative arrangements in place, while banks, transport operators and other businesses adapt their systems to use the new documents. The convention focuses on the issuance and use of negotiable cargo documents, complementing existing international rules governing transport contracts and carriers’ liability.
