Global leaders announce $6.4 Billion for ocean action at first African Our Ocean Conference

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 18 June 2026:

Over 100 governments, businesses and civil society organizations announced 320 new commitments valued at $6.4 billion to advance ocean conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience and the blue economy at the 2026 Our Ocean Conference, which concluded today in Mombasa, Kenya.

The conference marked a historic milestone as the first Our Ocean Conference hosted in Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing leadership in global ocean governance and sustainable ocean development.

The Our Ocean Conference has become one of the world’s leading platforms for ocean action, translating policy ambitions into measurable commitments, investments and partnerships.

Major announcements from this year’s conference included:

• French Polynesia announced plans to strengthen protections within the Tainui Atea, the world’s largest marine protected area, through more than 27,000 square kilometres of new regulated fishing areas, coastal protection zones and seamount protections.
• Canada committed $682 million to the Small Crafts Harbours Program to support coastal and rural communities, fishing activity and local economies
• The World Bank Group announced plans to invest $1 billion over the next two years to help developing countries build sustainable and resilient blue economies.
• Kenya committed $200 million to install electronic monitoring to all industrial fishing vessels in its waters.

Africa’s role in the global ocean agenda has expanded rapidly in recent years. Home to 38 coastal and island states and more than 13 million square kilometres of exclusive economic zones, the continent has a significant stake in the future of ocean health and the blue economy.

“This conference is about turning words into commitments, commitments into action, and action into a legacy we can be proud of,” said Hassan Ali Joho, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Blue Economy.

The conference brought together over 5,000 participants, including heads of state, ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth representatives, business executives and civil society organizations.

Its programme featured leadership plenaries, high-level thematic panels, official side events, exhibitions, community and cultural events, an Executive Business and Investment Forum, a Youth Leadership Summit and a Research Symposium.

Youth engagement featured prominently throughout the conference. Held in parallel with the main event, the OOC11 Youth Leadership Summit convened young innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and activists from across Kenya and beyond to showcase solutions for ocean conservation and sustainable development.

Among the featured events was Youth and the Global Biodiversity Framework: Showcasing Youth-Led Restoration in Kenya to Advance Global Biodiversity Framework Implementation, highlighting youth organizations restoring mangroves and other coastal wetlands to strengthen climate resilience, support local livelihoods and advance Kenya’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Organizers emphasized the critical role of young people in driving ocean solutions at a time when more than 70 percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 35.

Beyond generating new commitments, the Our Ocean Conference serves as a mechanism for tracking progress and accountability. The World Resources Institute (WRI), Secretariat of the Our Ocean Conference, analyzed progress on commitments in Africa since the conference began in 2014.

Data found that approximately 78 percent of commitments are complete or in progress – and while many historically originated outside the continent, the 2026 conference highlighted a growing shift toward African-led solutions, financing and implementation.

“Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, with more than 400 million people between the ages of 15 and 35,”said Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director, Africa and Global Partnerships, World Resources Institute. “For many young Africans, the ocean is not simply an environmental issue. It is a source of jobs, food security and economic opportunity. The commitments announced in Mombasa demonstrate growing recognition that investing in ocean health is investing in Africa’s future.”

Many commitments focused on priorities central to Africa’s development, including sustainable fisheries, blue carbon initiatives, marine conservation and efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which is estimated to cost African economies between $11 billion and $13 billion annually.

As host nation, Kenya announced approximately 42 commitments worth an estimated $1 billion, including actions to expand marine protected areas, strengthen fisheries monitoring, mobilize climate finance and advance a sustainable blue economy.

Kenya has emerged as a leading voice on ocean issues as a founding member of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, host of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and an advocate for ambitious action on marine pollution and ocean sustainability.

Read the full outcome report

The Secretariat published two reports analyzing progress made on commitments made prior to OOC11, including an analysis of the commitment implementation in the past year, and an commitment implementation in Africa between 2014 and 2026.

• Marine Protected Areas

French Polynesia will strengthen protections within Tainui Atea through more than 27,000 km² of new regulated fishing areas, coastal protection zones and seamount protections.

• Climate and Science

Australia committed AUD$92.9 million over four years to Antarctic and Southern Ocean marine science, including research on climate impacts to krill populations and sea ice.

• People and Prosperity

The World Bank Group plans to invest $1 billion over the next two years to support sustainable blue economy development in developing countries.

• Blue Food

Norway launched a regional initiative to strengthen scientific collaboration and policy coordination on aquatic foods and nutrition across Africa.

• Coastal Resilience

Australia announced more than AUD$68 million in 2025–26 to respond to the harmful algal bloom affecting South Australia. Combined with state funding, total support exceeds AUD$165 million to protect communities, ecosystems and coastal industries.

About the Our Ocean Conference

The Our Ocean Conference brings together governments, businesses and civil society organizations to make voluntary commitments that advance ocean conservation and sustainable ocean management.

The conference attracts approximately 3,000 participants from more than 100 countries, including heads of state, ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth representatives and business executives.

Since its launch in the United States in 2014, the conference has generated more than 2,600 commitments supporting marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, action against marine pollution, ocean science and technology, climate resilience and implementation of international ocean agreements.