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Twenty-six States signed the UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, on Oct. 26 in Accra, Ghana
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The Convention covers paper and electronic negotiable cargo documents across all transport modes, not just sea
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The Philippines is not on FIATA’s list of signatories, and the Convention still has to be ratified before it matters in practice
Twenty-six States have signed the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention. The signing took place in Accra, Ghana, on Oct. 26, according to the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA).
The signatories are Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, China, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Venezuela. FIATA said more States are expected to sign once their diplomatic procedures are complete.
One legal framework for all modes
The Convention provides a harmonized and technology-neutral legal framework for negotiable cargo documents in paper and electronic form. FIATA said these documents have historically been tied closely to sea transport, and the Convention aims to cover goods moving by road, rail, sea and air across borders.
FIATA said the Convention reflects existing commercial practice rather than a new model. It added that the framework is particularly relevant to multimodal corridors and to emerging and landlocked economies, and may support trade finance and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention in December 2025. FIATA said it helped with the drafting under the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), together with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Banking Commission. The signing coincided with UNCITRAL’s 60th anniversary.
What happens next
FIATA did not say when the Convention would take effect. It said the next phase is moving from signature to ratification and implementation. A signature does not make the rules binding by itself. A State must still complete its own approval process.
FIATA Director General Dr. Stéphane Graber called the signing an “exciting milestone” for global trade. He said FIATA is proud to have contributed the practical experience of freight forwarders, and that it is ready to apply the Convention through its existing FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (FBL) and electronic FBL (eFBL).
READ: FIATA unveils eFBL guide for paperless trade
FIATA said the FBL and eFBL can serve as ready-to-use solutions for negotiable cargo documents and their electronic versions under the Convention. It reported tests of the framework with the eFBL on the Kazakhstan–China, China–Georgia and Turkmenistan–Romania routes. The tests covered rail and multimodal transport and trade finance.
FIATA, the ICC and the GSF will soon launch a joint practical guide on negotiable cargo documents. FIATA, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the GSF and the ICC have already published an FAQ guide. FIATA also plans training and guidance through its Association Members worldwide.
What it means for logistics stakeholders
- Freight forwarders: The Convention could give electronic multimodal documents such as the eFBL clearer legal recognition across borders. This depends on how many States ratify it, and on whether trading partners accept them.
- Shippers and traders: A negotiable document that works in electronic form across modes could cut paperwork and courier time on multimodal routes. It may also help with trade finance.
- Banks and insurers: Clearer rules on electronic negotiable documents may make it easier to rely on them for financing and cargo cover. FIATA has not said how banks will respond.
- Philippine stakeholders: The Philippines is not among the 26 signatories listed. The Convention will not apply to Philippine trade unless the country signs and ratifies it, and no timetable has been announced. Forwarders can still watch how partners in signatory countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, handle electronic documents.
Background
PortCalls reported in April that FIATA released a practical guide to the eFBL. The guide says the eFBL is the digital version of the negotiable FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading, used since 1968. It is aligned with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records so that it carries the same legal weight as the paper document.
Philippine paperless trade is moving at the document level too. In May, PortCalls reported that the Bureau of Customs aims to roll out the electronic airway bill (e-AWB) within 2026. Airlines and forwarders now often submit both paper master airway bills and e-AWBs to meet local and global requirements.
FIATA represents freight forwarders in about 150 territories through 106 Association Members and more than 4,700 Individual Members. It said these cover an industry of roughly 50,000 firms.
READ: FIATA report: Freight forwarders step up as supply chain strategists
