President William Ruto has announced that the country will host the 11th edition of Our Ocean Conference in 2026.
Ruto revealed this after he had a telephone conversation with former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is also a founder of Our Ocean Conference.
The Our Ocean Conference focuses on addressing the current key ocean issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and pollution.
In a statement on Monday, Ruto said the organisation’s Advisory Group made the request, owing to “the exemplary global leadership we have shown in environmental and ocean issues”.
He added that Kenya is also a pioneer in national policies that tackle ocean pollution.
“The conference, therefore, will be an apt opportunity for Kenya to highlight our blue economy agenda and champion Africa's climate action on oceans, especially in the Indian Ocean, which is a shared resource among 23 countries,” the President said.
Ruto said Kerry expressed his support for Kenya hosting the conference.
According to information provided by Our Ocean, the conference has, since 2014, become a global call to action for the ocean, mobilising over 2,600 commitments worth approximately US$140 billion.
The annual conference convenes governments, NGOs, the private sector and the academic community to identify action-based solutions and make tangible commitments.
The conference is a crucial moment for the ocean community year after year, gathering lessons learned, sharing the best science, offering unique perspectives, and demonstrating effective actions toward protecting and improving the health of the ocean.
The Our Ocean Conference is by invitation only and is extended to representatives from governments, NGOs, international groups, academia and private sector groups who are committed to ocean protection.
The conference program includes a main plenary, as well as side events, which provide a platform for collaboration and dialogue.
Each year, the host country invites applications for side events from governments and organisations in attendance.
Our Ocean Conference 2025 will be hosted by Korea in Busan from April 28 to April 30, under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action”.
This will be the tenth Our Ocean Conference.
According to Our Ocean, the hosts aim to make significant progress in the next decade by highlighting the need to transition from an "ocean in crisis" to an "ocean of hope" through the delivery of smart, concrete, and intuitive governance actions.
The Conference will serve as an important moment to build momentum for cooperation and implementation of agreements to protect and conserve the ocean, such as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution.
The hosts expect to discuss innovative and inclusive initiatives for the sustainable development of the global ocean and the coexistence and prosperity of the ocean and humanity.
The special agenda theme will be "Digital Oceans", focusing on means to drive action. Digital Oceans is a concept that combines the ocean industry and digital technology, serving as an implementation tool to achieve a sustainable ocean swiftly and systematically.
