When world leaders, scientists, coastal communities, and maritime professionals converge on the Swahili Coast this June, Kenya will do more than host a conference. It will seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape its blue future and anchor Africa at the Centre of Global Ocean Governance.
Launched by the United States in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference (OOC) has become the world’s foremost platform for mobilising ocean action. Over a decade, it has generated more than 2,600 commitments valued at over USD 140 billion across marine conservation, fisheries reform, pollution reduction, and maritime security. Yet every prior edition was held in Europe, North America, or the Indo-Pacific. OOC11, taking place in Mombasa and Kilifi, is therefore no routine diplomatic event—it is a continental watershed.
The direct predecessor, OOC10, was held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from April 28–30, 2025, under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action,” drawing over 3,300 delegates from 113 countries and generating 287 commitments valued at USD 9.1 billion. Now, Kenya’s moment follows that milestone tenth edition.
How Kenya earned the hosting rights
Kenya’s selection was no accident. It was the result of earned credibility, active lobbying, and strong international backing. Kenya holds active membership in the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and has pioneered bold domestic policies on plastic pollution and blue economy development. President Ruto’s personal diplomacy—including a direct conversation with OOC founder and former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who expressed strong support—proved decisive.
Kenya’s growing stature as a host of major global gatherings also counted heavily. From the Africa Climate Summit to the IDA21 Heads of State Summit and the recent Africa Forward Summit 2026 co-hosted with France, Kenya has consistently demonstrated the organisational and diplomatic capacity to convene the world. Critically, the fact that ten editions had passed without the conference ever touching African soil—despite Africa’s vast ocean interests—made the case for Kenya undeniable.
Benefits for Kenya
Diplomatic capital: The conference theme—Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future—positions Kenya not as a passive beneficiary of global agreements but as an architect of them. Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho has stated the event “will place Kenya at the centre of global ocean diplomacy,” elevating Kenya’s standing within the African Union, the UN system, and among global financial institutions.
Investment mobilization: A flagship anticipated outcome is a Global South Blue Economy Investment Platform targeting USD 60 billion in bankable projects. Kenya’s hosting role gives its agencies and private sector first-mover positioning to channel capital into green shipping corridors, sustainable aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and fisheries modernisation—directly underpinning the government’s National Blue Economy Strategy, which targets sector growth of KES 350 billion by 2030.
Policy acceleration: OOC11 will align Kenya’s commitments with the UN High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement), the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, and UNFCCC climate frameworks, providing a coherent legal and policy architecture for domestic reforms while strengthening Kenya’s hand in future international negotiations.
Economic spinoffs: Hosting brings immediate dividends to the Coast region—accommodation, logistics, catering, transport, and cultural tourism—while exposing Mombasa, Kilifi, and the Swahili Coast to an international audience of policymakers and investors, creating lasting reputational capital.
Africa’s EEZ governance: Africa’s combined Exclusive Economic Zones cover approximately 13 million square kilometres. By leading OOC11, Kenya can champion a coherent framework for governing these waters, combatting IUU fishing—which drains an estimated USD 10 billion annually from African economies—and advancing maritime security cooperation across the Western Indian Ocean.
Impact on training institutions
For maritime academies, nautical colleges, and seafarer training centres, OOC11 is a defining inflection point. Institutions that engage will gain access to international funding bodies through the first-ever OOC Research Symposium on 14–15 June, forge partnerships with global institutions, sign memoranda of understanding, and benchmark their curricula against the live frameworks emerging from the conference—particularly around MARPOL compliance, the Carbon Intensity Indicator, and green shipping.
One of OOC11’s critical expected outcomes is the formalisation of green shipping corridors, creating urgent demand for seafarers trained in alternative fuels—LNG, ammonia, hydrogen—and energy efficiency systems. Institutions that move now will secure a decisive market advantage.
Those that do not engage risk producing graduates unaware of the evolving regulatory landscape. Outdated syllabi will become a liability as IMO standards tighten and the blue economy demands multi-disciplinary professionals.
Tracking changes
OOC11 introduces a Digital Commitments Tracker and annual progress reporting framework to ensure all pledges are finance-verified and transparent—a direct response to the fact that fewer than half of commitments made since 2014 have been fully delivered. This accountability shift changes the stakes for every participant.
The ocean sustains the livelihoods of billions and covers over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. OOC11 in Mombasa is an invitation to Kenya’s institutions, professionals, coastal communities, and future seafarers to claim their place in shaping the world’s most vital commons.
About the Author:
Harry Arigi is a Maritime Consultant and a Member of IHRM.
This is a milestone event to take place in our country. Let’s take this opportunity to fast track our blue economy plans and recreate safe opportunities for the now and future generations.
Congratulations to the Gok and those responsible in planning. This will jump start the low tourist seasons in the coastal areas. Let our visitors savour our tourist attractions around and about the coast. Best regards and wishes as the ongoing plans come to fruitation by June.🙏