African nations, alongside France, Belgium, US, join forces to combat a common enemy, China and Russia back out

Fifteen countries from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific have adopted the Mombasa Declaration to strengthen the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, while China refused to sign the agreement and Russia was absent.

The declaration was adopted on June 17 during the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. It calls for greater transparency around fishing vessels, their ownership and licences, as well as better sharing of data to help governments track fishing activity and enforce regulations.

The agreement was signed by Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, the Dominican Republic, France, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Korea.

China's refusal to join the declaration and the exclusion of Taiwanese delegates from the conference added a geopolitical dimension to an agreement focused on protecting the world's oceans.

What the Mombasa pact means for Africa

African nations, alongside France, Belgium, US, join forces to combat a common enemy, China and Russia back out

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