Africa to Host Landmark Ocean Conference Amid Growing Concerns Over Marine Protection

Mombasa, Kenya – The 11th Our Ocean Conference will convene in Mombasa and Kilifi, Kenya, from June 16-18, 2026, marking the first time the influential meeting will be held on African soil. The conference arrives at a critical juncture, as global indicators demonstrate increasing strain on the planet’s health, and debates intensify over the future of the high seas and deep-sea mining.

The stakes are particularly high for coastal and island nations across Africa and the wider Indian Ocean, as well as for the Global South generally. The commitments made in Mombasa will determine whether the ocean becomes a catalyst for justice and resilience, or exacerbates existing inequalities, according to James Alix Michel, former President of Seychelles and a global advocate for ocean conservation.

Since its inception in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference has spurred billions of dollars in pledges for marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries initiatives, and pollution control. However, Michel cautions that the reality for many communities in the Global South often lags behind the rhetoric. Overfishing, climate change-induced ecosystem shifts, and pollution continue to threaten food security and livelihoods, while the economic benefits of the “blue economy” disproportionately accrue to those with capital and technology.

The timing of the conference is significant, coinciding with the recent entry into force of the High Seas Treaty – formally known as the BBNJ Agreement – in January 2026, after reaching 60 ratifications in 2025. This treaty establishes a framework for creating marine protected areas and regulating activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which comprise nearly half the planet.

For African and developing countries, the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement will be a key test of whether the principle of the “common heritage of humankind” can be translated into tangible benefits. Seychelles was among the first African nations to ratify the treaty, advocating for the establishment of high seas marine protected areas, such as the Saya de Malha Bank.

A particularly contentious issue on the agenda is deep-sea mining. While proponents argue it could provide minerals essential for the energy transition, scientific assessments warn of potentially devastating and long-lasting damage to seafloor habitats and disruption of critical carbon cycles. Small-scale fishers and coastal communities fear that the costs of such operations will fall disproportionately on those least responsible for climate change and least equipped to adapt.

Michel, alongside ocean philanthropist Dona Bertarelli, recently called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in Africa’s ocean, particularly in the Indian Ocean, emphasizing the need for precaution and long-term stewardship over short-term profits.

Kenya has framed the 2026 conference around the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future,” with a focus on jobs, equity, and healthy oceans – a framing that resonates across the Global South, where communities face converging crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic insecurity.

To ensure the conference is a turning point, African and developing countries are expected to push for three key outcomes: equitable implementation of the BBNJ Agreement with robust funding for capacity-building and benefit-sharing; a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining until independent science confirms its safety and robust global regulations are in place; and commitments that directly improve the lives of coastal communities through sustainable fisheries, ecosystem restoration, and support for marginalized groups.

Michel points to Seychelles as a model, having protected 30% of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – an area larger than Germany – by 2020, a decade ahead of global 30×30 targets, and pioneering the world’s first sovereign blue bond in 2018.

The conference in Mombasa presents an opportunity to center the perspectives of those who live with the ocean daily, and to shift power towards those most affected by its health. For Africa, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and the Global South, the message is clear: the ocean is not a resource to be exploited, but a vital foundation for survival and dignity.

(This article is based on an opinion piece by James Alix Michel published by Inter Press Service on March 23, 2026.)