Mombasa: Key Outcomes from the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya
The Our Ocean Conference (OOC) held in Mombasa, Kenya, brought together over 5,000 delegates to discuss marine issues and make voluntary commitments to advance ocean sustainability.
Background
The OOC is an annual event that aims to identify action-based solutions and make tangible commitments to address key issues facing the ocean, such as climate change and overfishing.
Key Outcomes
The key outcomes of the conference include:
- Commitments to protect climate-resilient coral reefs;
- Commitments to combat illegal fishing;
- Commitments to establish marine protected areas;
- Commitments to reduce marine pollution.
Marine Protected Areas
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of the six key action areas of the Our Ocean Conference.
An independent assessment published during the conference found that the OOC has made an outsized contribution to global marine conservation efforts.
High Seas Treaty
The High Seas Treaty entered into force in January 2026.
The treaty creates a mechanism for countries to establish MPAs in international waters.
Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining was discussed at several side events during the conference.
Malawi became the first African country to support a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining in international waters.
Coral Reefs
Four additional countries signed the commitment to protect climate-resilient coral reefs.
A new study published during the conference mapped over 165,000 km² of coral reefs in 70 countries.
Fisheries
The Mombasa Declaration was adopted to advance fisheries transparency and combat illegal fishing.
The declaration commits countries to follow a set of principles established in the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency.
Source / Reference: https://www.carbonbrief.org/mombasa-key-outcomes-from-the-our-ocean-conference-in-kenya/