Accra will host the signing of a UN treaty that lets cargo papers go digital
The Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, to be signed in Ghana on 26 October, would give electronic bills of lading the same legal force as paper ones.
Accra — Ghana will host the signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents in Accra on 26 October, MyJoyOnline reports.
What the treaty does
Documents such as bills of lading move cargo, close sales and unlock trade finance, and most are still on paper. The convention sets one legal framework under which electronic versions can do the same job as paper ones, which should cut delays, paperwork costs and the risk of fraud, speed up transactions and make trade finance easier to get.
Why Ghana
Professor Ransford Gyampo, chief executive of the Ghana Shippers' Authority, which is hosting the event, said the convention is about legal certainty and confidence, not just swapping paper for screens. It matters especially for African trade, he said, which often crosses several countries, transport modes and border posts, and it fits Ghana's ambition to be West Africa's preferred trade and logistics hub and the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ghanaian importers and exporters could gain lower costs, faster processing, better access to finance and more predictability. But, he cautioned, "These benefits will not arise from the signing ceremony alone": they depend on countries ratifying and implementing the treaty, and on businesses, banks, transport operators and regulators being ready.
Governments, international organisations and traders are expected at the ceremony.
Source: MyJoyOnline, reporting by Winston Tackie, 16 October 2026.
