Today I convened a Development Partner Engagement on Kenya’s hosting of the 11th Our Ocean Conference @OurOceanOOC , to be held in Mombasa from 16–18 June 2026 under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future.” The session was held at Gem Suits, Riverside Drive, and brought together key partners including @UNEP , @FAO , @UNDP , @IFAD , UN Women Kenya, @UNIDO , @AECFA, FSD Africa, the Norwegian Embassy @NorwayInKenya , the Canadian High Commission @CanHCKenya , the Embassy of Japan @JapaninKenya and Gatsby Africa @GatsbyAfrica. During the engagement, I shared Kenya’s vision and strategic priorities for the Conference and invited our development partners to contribute through substantive commitments, technical collaboration, side events and other forms of support that will help deliver an impactful and well-resourced conference. Partners welcomed Kenya’s leadership in hosting the first Our Ocean Conference on African soil and expressed readiness to work jointly towards ambitious outcomes on sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, climate resilience and an inclusive blue economy. Since its inception in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference has mobilised over 2,900 commitments worth approximately USD 169 billion for ocean action globally, and Kenya’s hosting in 2026 offers a unique opportunity to showcase African ocean leadership and accelerate implementation on the ground. Today’s engagement marks an important step in aligning Development Partner efforts with our national priorities ahead of the Our Ocean Conference in June 2026.