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The new Convention for International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL): state of play
The new Convention for International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL): state of play
The URL Convention was adopted on 17 November 2023 at the seventy-seventh session of the Working Party on Rail Transport of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (SC2 UNECE). In accordance with its article 43, the Convention was open for signature by all States at United Nations Headquarters in New York until 31 March 2025.
In accordance with article 44 para (1) "This Convention shall enter into force six months after the date on which five States have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession". Four countries have so far signed the Convention, namely Togo on 27 June 2024; the Netherlands on 21 November 2024; China on 19 March 2025; and Germany on 27 March 2025.
To take effect, the Convention needs five legally valid instruments of ratification, accession, acceptance or approval provided to the depositary. CIT will continue to closely monitor the development of the ratification process of this important legal instrument for the unification of international rail transport law.