MOMBASA, Kenya – President William Ruto has called for stronger global political will and concrete action to protect the world’s oceans, urging leaders to translate conservation commitments into tangible results. Speaking during the closing ceremony of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa on Thursday—the first edition of the conference to be held on African soil—President Ruto emphasized the need for urgent action to address the growing challenges facing marine ecosystems.
“Let me reiterate that commitments without the means to deliver them will never match the urgency or the scale of what the ocean now demands of us,” he said.
The President added: “The world has one honest option: to turn political promises into real action; to green our ports, drive blue-green industrialisation, create high-value and dignified jobs, and secure a living and resilient ocean.”
The annual conference, launched in 2014, brings together governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, scientists, and civil society actors to promote marine conservation and sustainable blue economy initiatives.
This year’s conference attracted more than 6,000 participants from over 100 countries and institutions worldwide. Among the dignitaries present were Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson, and European Union Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis.
President Ruto challenged world leaders to mobilize financing, deploy technology and innovation, strengthen institutional capacity, and build partnerships capable of delivering on the commitments made during the conference.
“We did not come to Mombasa to add our names to a longer list of promises. We came to turn the tide. Let the measure of this conference not be what we pledged on the shore, but what we deliver in the water,” he said.
This year’s conference recorded 300 new commitments valued at approximately $6.4 billion (KSh832 billion). Kenya alone made 50 commitments worth $1.1 billion (KSh143 billion) aimed at advancing the country’s blue economy agenda.
“Delivered in full, these commitments will expand our marine protected areas, restore fisheries, combat climate change, reduce pollution, build sustainable blue economies, and strengthen maritime security, ultimately growing our shared ocean wealth,” President Ruto noted.
President Mwinyi said the conference demonstrated Africa’s growing leadership in ocean governance and sustainable blue economy development.
“However, unlocking the full potential of Africa’s blue economy requires addressing persistent financing gaps, limited access to technology, and institutional capacity challenges,” he said.
UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson acknowledged the extensive damage caused by human activities to marine ecosystems but expressed optimism that the situation can be reversed.
“The call to action is for humankind to put an end to the anthropogenic maladies we have inflicted on the ocean’s health. This requires accelerating the transition to renewable energy and embracing circular economies,” he said.
Echoing the same sentiments, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis said threats facing the ocean are global in nature and therefore require a coordinated international response.
During the closing ceremony, Kenya officially handed over hosting responsibilities for next year’s conference to Canada. Earlier in the day, President Ruto toured the Research Vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, which is currently docked at the Port of Mombasa.
The state-of-the-art marine research vessel, operating under the United Nations flag and owned by the Kingdom of Norway, is managed by the Institute of Marine Research.
President Ruto commended the vessel’s team for collaborating with Kenyan scientists to enhance understanding of the country’s vast marine resources and support sustainable ocean management
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