The Cameroon National Shippers’ Council (CNSC) joined international institutions and trade stakeholders in Accra, Ghana, on 26 October 2026 for the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents (NCD), known as the Accra Convention. The ceremony was presided over by Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industrialisation. 

Adopted by the United Nations in December 2025, the Convention establishes a harmonised legal framework for negotiable cargo documents covering goods transported across different modes of transport. By facilitating the use of a single document throughout a multimodal transport chain, it aims to reduce administrative burdens, lower logistics costs, shorten transit times and improve the efficiency of international supply chains.

Speaking, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare emphasised the importance of international cooperation in responding to evolving global trade dynamics. With Ghana being the leading signatory to this Convention, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, called on other countries, especially African states, to consider ratifying the convention. As of date, 26 countries have ratified the convention, amongst which 19 African countries.  

For the CNSC, whose delegation was led by Mr. Fernand Nolga - Director for Trade Facilitation and Transport Observatory, the Convention aligns with its mandate to protect shippers’ interests, improve transport efficiency and reduce the costs associated with international trade. Elsewhere, Africa’s transport and logistics professionals see in it a strategic opportunity to strengthen multimodal connectivity, facilitate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and enhance the continent’s competitiveness in global trade.

Expert insights on the constraints and advantages of the NCD Convention laid bare the bottlenecks and early mitigation measures, highlighting the need to engage public authorities and logistics stakeholders on the reforms needed for nations to ratify and eventually implement the Accra Convention. Cameroon is yet to get on board.