Regulatory Alert : Driving Forward the Ratification of the NCD Convention
Throughout 2025, in close cooperation with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), FIATA supported the development of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents (NCD Convention) as a truly multimodal instrument applicable across all transport modes.
In December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the NCD Convention, marking a major milestone for global trade facilitation. The Convention will be formally open for signature on 26 October 2026, with the official signing ceremony taking place in Accra, Ghana.
The Convention establishes, for the first time, a harmonised, technology-neutral legal framework for negotiable cargo documents across all transport modes, in both paper and electronic formats. As an opt-in instrument, it complements existing transport liability regimes, preserves legal continuity, and enhances clarity for international trade. By providing legal certainty for multimodal negotiable cargo documents, it fills an important gap in the legal framework governing multimodal transport, creating the foundation for a more efficient, agile and interconnected trading environment.
What this means for FIATA members
For freight forwarders, the Convention creates new opportunities to facilitate trade, support clients' financing needs, and accelerate digital transformation across supply chains, delivering concrete and practical benefits. In particular, the Convention:
- closes a long-standing gap in the legal framework governing multimodal negotiable cargo documents
- strengthens the legal foundation of negotiable transport documents
- improves access to trade finance, particularly for SMEs
- supports the transition toward digital and integrated logistics, where legal certainty across modes is essential
Importantly, freight forwarders do not need to wait for new instruments to be developed in order to benefit from the Convention. The FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (FBL) and the electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL) have enabled freight forwarders to provide negotiable multimodal transport solutions for decades and served as important practical reference points during the drafting of the Convention.
Recognised globally and widely used in international trade, the FBL and eFBL remain the only negotiable cargo documents developed by and for the freight forwarding industry that are specifically designed to support both unimodal and multimodal transport operations. Their long-standing success demonstrates the practical value of negotiable cargo documents in facilitating international trade and supporting access to trade finance.
By creating a harmonised legal framework for multimodal negotiable cargo documents, the Convention strengthens this existing practice, supporting freight forwarders in delivering more agile, flexible and integrated transport solutions to their customers. To facilitate implementation, FIATA has updated the FBL and eFBL templates to facilitate their use under the Convention. These updated versions will be made available as soon as the Convention enters into force, ensuring that freight forwarders can immediately benefit from the Convention's harmonised legal framework through trusted, established industry documents in paper and electronic form from day one.
Key provisions at a glance
Under the Convention, rights under a negotiable cargo document are held exclusively by the holder and transferred with the document itself. Transfer may occur by endorsement and transfer of possession, or by possession alone where appropriate.
The Convention also confirms the function of NCDs as documents of title, providing that the transfer of an NCD has the same legal effect as the physical handing over of the goods. The Convention further:
- defines the rights of the holder, including the right to demand delivery at destination
- establishes liability rules for holders
- protects third parties acting in good faith
- enables issuance based on party agreement between transport operator and consignor
- sets out requirements for document content and remedies for missing information
- provides a comprehensive legal framework for electronic NCDs (eNCDs), aligned with UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records
Importantly, the Convention is carefully designed to operate alongside existing international transport conventions, including the Hamburg Rules and the Rotterdam Rules, without altering carrier liability regimes. Its focus remains strictly on supporting negotiable cargo documents across all transport modes.
Supporting ratification and implementation
A ceremony for the opening for signature of the Convention will take place in Accra, Ghana on 26 October 2026. In accordance with Article 20, the Convention will be open for signature by all States. To support understanding and ratification, FIATA, together with GSF and the ICC, has developed a set of practical resources, including:
- FAQs on the Convention, available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic
- A joint letter to governments encouraging ratification, as well as a one-page briefing note for governments, available upon request at legal@fiata.org
Further practical guidance on the implementation and use of Negotiable Cargo Documents under the Convention is currently being developed by FIATA, GSF and ICC. These materials will be made available to Members as they become available.
In addition, the NCD Convention Tracker, recently launched by the ICC, UNCITRAL and UNESCAP, with the support of FIATA, provides visibility on global progress towards signature and ratification of the Convention.
Further practical guidance on the use of NCDs under the Convention is currently being developed by FIATA and will be made available upon request as it becomes available. FIATA is also running pilot initiatives on the use of NCDs and invites interested Members to contact the FIATA Headquarters should they wish to participate.
Together, these tools are designed to support informed decision-making, promote consistent understanding of the Convention, and assist stakeholders in their outreach and advocacy efforts. We invite our Members to actively use these materials in their engagement with national authorities and partners, as well as in their implementation work.
Looking ahead
The adoption of the NCD Convention represents a significant step towards a more efficient, secure and digitally enabled trading environment.
FIATA will continue to advocate for the ratification of the Convention and to work closely with governments, international organisations and industry stakeholders to support its implementation.
We also encourage FIATA Members to actively support ratification efforts by sharing the available guidance materials in their local contexts, engaging with national authorities, and registering interest in pilot transactions to experience the practical benefits of the Convention's provisions at legal@fiata.org.
Your experience will be key to shaping effective implementation and ensuring that the Convention delivers tangible, real-world benefits for global trade.