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Local residents, activists, members of Greenpeace Africa, and advocates for ocean justice gather on the beach as part of the 11th Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya on June 15, 2026. [AFP]
The 11th annual Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, concluded with more than 320 commitments and roughly Sh828.9 mobilised for marine action. Global leaders, policymakers, and development partners reaffirmed their collective resolve to combat illegal fishing, protect marine biodiversity, reduce pollution and advance climate resilience.
Yet, as delegates headed home, we were reminded that high-level policy declarations and financial promises can only get us to the starting line. Whether these sweeping frameworks actually translate to lasting change, hinges on one make-or-break factor: grassroots, local execution.
To transition effectively from a high-level dialogue into tangible reality, ocean governance must treat civil society organisations (CSOs) and coastal communities not as passive observers, but as foundational partners. International environmental summits excel at drafting macro-level solutions, such as the newly adopted Mombasa Declaration aimed at curbing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
