Ghana to host signing of UN trade convention on October 26

Ghana will host the signing of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, known as the Accra Convention, on October 26, 2026, in a move aimed at modernising trade documentation and improving the efficiency of international commerce.

The announcement was made by the Director of the Foreign Trade and Negotiations Directorate at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Stella A. Ansah, on behalf of the sector minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.

She was speaking during a media engagement organised by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) in Accra on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to sensitise journalists to the significance of the Convention and Ghana’s role in hosting the international signing ceremony.

The Convention is expected to establish a legal framework for negotiable cargo documents in both paper and electronic formats for goods transported by road, rail, air and sea.

The framework is intended to support the modernisation of trade documentation in response to growing digitalisation and the increasing complexity of global supply chains.

Speaking at the engagement, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Professor Ransford Edward Gyampo, underscored the importance of updating trade documentation systems to reflect changes in international commerce.

The October 26 ceremony is expected to attract representatives of governments, international organisations and the global trading community to Accra.

Ghana’s hosting of the event is expected to position the country at the centre of international efforts to strengthen the legal framework for cargo documentation and facilitate global trade.