Legal Instrument

The United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents establishes a uniform legal framework for the issuance and use of negotiable cargo documents (NCDs) as documents of title representing goods in transit, in either paper or electronic form and across all modes of transport. By extending negotiability beyond maritime transport, the Convention facilitates trade finance, enables the sale of goods during transit, promotes multimodal transport, and supports the digitalization of global trade through the use of a single document covering the entire journey. It defines the rights and liabilities of holders, provides clear rules on transfer and legal effect, and includes detailed provisions for electronic NCDs based on existing UNCITRAL instruments. The Convention complements rather than replaces existing transport law regimes, focusing specifically on documentary functions while operating alongside established liability frameworks.