Ghana will host the signing of the UN Accra Convention on October 26, 2026, to modernise cargo documentation and facilitate international trade.
Accra to welcome international stakeholders as the United Nations advances modern cargo documentation for global trade
Ghana will host the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, on October 26, 2026, marking a significant step towards modernising trade documentation and improving the efficiency of international commerce.
The announcement was made on Thursday, October 15, by Madam Stella A. Ansah, Director of the Foreign Trade and Negotiations Directorate at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, on behalf of the sector minister, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.
The media engagement, organised by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) in Accra, sought to educate journalists on the significance of the Convention and Ghana’s role in hosting the international signing ceremony.
Addressing the media, Madam Ansah explained that the Convention would establish a legal framework for negotiable cargo documents issued in paper or electronic form for goods transported by road, rail, air and sea.
The framework is intended to support the use of cargo documents in international trade and facilitate more efficient commercial transactions across different transport systems.
As global supply chains become increasingly complex and businesses adopt digital technologies, modernising trade documentation has become an important consideration for governments, logistics operators, exporters, importers and financial institutions.
The recognition of electronic cargo documents could also help reduce dependence on paper-based processes and support the digital transformation of international trade, subject to the Convention’s provisions and applicable national laws.
Speaking at the engagement, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Professor Ransford Edward Gyampo, underscored the importance of modernising trade documentation in response to digitalisation and the changing demands of global commerce.
Hosting the signing ceremony places Accra at the centre of an international initiative to strengthen the legal framework governing cargo documentation.
The event is expected to attract representatives of governments, international organisations and the global trading community.
For businesses engaged in international trade, the Convention could have implications for how cargo documents are issued, transferred and used in commercial transactions.
Exporters, importers, freight forwarders, shipping companies, logistics operators and financial institutions will have an interest in understanding the Convention’s provisions and the practical requirements for its implementation.
However, the extent of the benefits will depend on the Convention’s final provisions, its entry into force and the steps taken by participating countries to implement its requirements.
The October 26 ceremony is therefore an important milestone in the international effort to modernise cargo documentation and facilitate cross-border trade.
As Ghana prepares to host the event, attention will be on how the Convention can support more efficient, transparent and digitally enabled trade processes for businesses in Ghana, across Africa and around the world.
Source: Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI) — PR & Communications Updates.
Published by: 24HourBusiness.org
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