Kenya rallies global support for 2026 Our Ocean Conference at UNEA 7

Environment CS Deborah Barasa and PS Festus Ng’eno after a meeting with the Saudi delegation led by Dr Khaled Asfaham in Nairobi, on December 10, 2025. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Kenya has moved to reinforce global support for the 2026 Our Ocean Conference during bilateral talks held on the sidelines of the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 7) in Nairobi.

Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa met Saudi Arabian officials led by Khaled Asfaham, CEO of SHAM and co-chair of the International Coral Reef Initiative, at the United Nations (UN) Complex. Environment and Climate Change Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno also joined the talks.

“We explored avenues to deepen cooperation between Kenya and Saudi Arabia in coral reef protection and broader environmental stewardship,” Dr. Barasa said.

The 2026 event will mark the 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference and the first time the summit will be held on African soil. Barasa explained that preparations for the 2026 summit remain central to Kenya’s environmental agenda as the country prepares to hand the baton to Saudi Arabia, which is set to host the next conference in 2027. She noted that both sides focused on continuity and shared learning to strengthen global ocean governance.

The Cabinet Secretary also briefed the delegation on Kenya’s three UNEA 7 resolutions on sport and the environment, artificial intelligence, and antimicrobial resistance, while outlining the country’s push for a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

“I also briefed the delegation on the three resolutions Kenya is sponsoring at UNEA 7 and reaffirmed our active engagement in the global plastic treaty negotiations,” she added.

The Our Ocean Conference, launched in 2014 by the U.S. Department of State under former Secretary of State John Kerry, brings together governments, businesses, NGOs, and academics to drive ocean-related action. The conference focuses on six critical areas: marine protected areas, sustainable blue economy, climate change, maritime security, sustainable fisheries, and marine pollution.

Since its inception, the summit has generated more than 2,600 commitments valued at over US$140 billion in pledges for marine protection and sustainable fisheries.

UNEA is the world’s top environmental decision-making body, bringing together 193 UN Member States every two years to adopt resolutions and guide global environmental policy. Hosting UNEA 7 offers Kenya an opportunity to amplify its voice on plastic pollution, marine conservation, and the blue economy.

The country has in recent years advanced ambitious national policies, including a 2017 ban on plastic carrier bags, and has joined international efforts to establish a global plastics treaty. Kenya continues to champion multilateral diplomacy, expand ocean partnerships, and steer the global community toward the 2026 Our Ocean Conference under African leadership on ocean health.