VIENNA, 14 July 2025 (UN Information Service) – The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) approved the draft convention on negotiable cargo documents, recommending it for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly.
The new draft convention addresses a legal gap in international trade by establishing a harmonized legal framework for negotiable documents of title across all modes of transport—air, road, rail, and sea—regardless of the different modes of transportation used for the cargo.
Until now, only maritime transport of goods has benefited from a widely recognized legal document (the bill of lading) which enables goods to be bought, sold, or used as collateral while still in transit. In contrast, the documents used for good transported by road, rail, and air are typically non-negotiable, meaning they cannot be transferred to another party as a means of transferring the goods they represent. This legal gap has created cash flow problems for businesses, including MSMEs, when goods are transported via inland routes, limited opportunities for businesses in landlocked regions to trade across borders and hindered the development of seamless door-to-door transportation services.
The draft convention on negotiable cargo documents was finalized during UNCITRAL’s 58th session, reflecting three years of collaborative work among diplomats, legal experts and trade professionals. This achievement reflects a shared commitment to developing a practical, future-oriented legal framework for modern commerce.
Following UNCITRAL’s approval of the draft convention, Beate Czerwenka, Chair of Working Group VI, said: “Today marks a pivotal moment for the future of global commerce. The Commission has finalized a text that bridges a long-standing legal gap, extending the proven benefits of negotiability to all forms of transport. This will empower small businesses to access finance, landlocked nations to participate more fully in global trade, and us all to build a more efficient, resilient, and digitalized trade ecosystem. Thanks to the new draft convention on negotiable cargo documents, the vision of a world where trade is faster, safer and more accessible is becoming a reality. All Member States are encouraged to support this transformative instrument in the General Assembly.”
The draft convention on negotiable cargo documents will be transmitted to the United Nations General Assembly, with a recommendation for adoption during the General Assembly’s 80th session in late 2025.
A short video explaining negotiable cargo documents is available via the United Nations YouTube and Web TV channels.
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The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. Its mandate is to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. It prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development.
UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts. The UNCITRAL secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria. For more information, visit: uncitral.un.org.
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For information, please contact:
Neale Bergman
Senior Legal Officer
UNCITRAL secretariat
Email: neale.bergman[at]un.org
