What is the 2025 ACCRA CONVENTION on NCDs – Negotiable Cargo Documents
The 2025 ACCRA CONVENTION on NCDs Negotiable Cargo Documents (shipping documents, or rather “negotiable cargo documents”) is an international treaty concluded under the auspices of UNICTRAL in the summer of 2025 in Accra (Ghana) and approved by the UN General Assembly on December 15, 2025.
It is an important tool aimed at facilitating trade by creating uniform rules relating to the issuance and circulation of documents (paper or electronic) representing goods entrusted to a carrier and therefore in transit. By acquiring possession of these documents, an operator gains access to the goods described therein without having to physically take delivery of them. This facilitates the subsequent resale of the goods, again by simply transferring the documents to new buyers. This is particularly important for all cases involving multimodal transport (e.g., by land/water/air, in various possible combinations) and mainly concerns trading in commodities, even though the Convention does not place any limits on the type of goods covered by NCDs.
Why is the adoption of the Accra Convention a step forward compared to the current situation?
The adoption of the Accra Convention is important because, once it enters into force, it will extend to ALL modes of transport what is currently limited to goods traveling by sea (in which case, the document used is the B/L, Bill of Lading). Currently, conventions relating to land transport (CMR), rail transport (COTIF/CIM), and air transport (Montreal) do not provide for the possibility of issuing documents representing the goods entrusted to the carrier. However, these conventions will continue to remain in force, as the NCDs are not intended to replace the current transport documents, but rather to supplement them (if the original parties – i.e., the consignor and the forworder – so wish).
How can an NCD be circulated?
An NCD can be circulated like a B/L, a check, or a bill of exchange, i.e., by endorsement (nominative or blank). If the endorsement is nominative, the right to delivery of the goods belongs to the last person named; if the endorsement is blank, it belongs to the holder.
An electronic NCD (eNCD) can be exchanged on any platform. In this respect, the Accra Convention has adopted a technology-neutral approach.
When does the Accra Convention come into force?
The Accra Convention will enter into force 180 days after the date on which it is formally adopted (through the usual instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession) by at least 10 States.
It is difficult to predict when this will happen. If all goes well, it could be as early as the first half of 2027. The convention must still be opened for signature by the States concerned – it will only be from next July in Accra, according to the schedule announced by UNICTRAL – and signature is a sort of preliminary expression of interest prior to formal ratification. However, nothing prevents a State from acceding directly to the Convention with effects equivalent to those of ratification preceded by signature.
The conditions for rapid adoption are in place: China has strongly sponsored the Convention and several other countries have already informally expressed their support, backing the UN General Assembly resolution last December.
The European Union will be able to adopt the Accra Convention on behalf of all Member States (which will therefore be individually bound), even though, since transport is considered a matter of shared competence between the EU and Member States, each Member State will likely accompanies a EU ratification with its own national ratification.
The US has shown a more lukewarm attitude, in line with its traditional distrust (exacerbated under the Trump administration) of international treaties that place it on an equal footing with other States.
Is limited accession to the Accra Convention possible?
Yes, the Convention provides for limited adoption of the Accra Convention. However, in principle, for States that adopt it, the Convention enters into force in its entirety: the only exception is where a State wishes to exclude the applicability of the Convention to transport wholly by sea, which is governed by another convention to which it is a party.
What are the effects of the Accra Convention coming into force?
The effects of the Accra Convention coming into force essentially consist in the fact that each signatory state is bound to enforce the uniform rules on NCDs set out therein, and these will apply if a NCD contains a “conspicuous reference” to the Convention and:
- The place of taking in charge of the goods is located in a State Party
- The place of delivery of the goods is located in a State Party; or
- The NCD was issued in a State party to the Convention.
A provision that therefore allows each individual member state to apply the Convention in a wide range of situations.
Has Italy already expressed its position on joining the Accra Convention?
Italy has already expressed its positive position on joining the Accra Convention, having supported the UN General Assembly resolution last December.
