The 11th Our Ocean Conference begins today in Mombasa, Kenya. The conference series is regarded as one of the most important international platforms for ocean diplomacy. The German delegation is being led by Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, who will be on site on June 16 and 17. The conference is bringing together many heads of state and government and ministers eager to present specific marine protection commitments. This year, the Our Ocean Conference is being held in an African country for the first time.
State Secretary Flasbarth commented: "The ocean is essential for human life. It feeds us, provides habitats for countless species and makes a vital contribution to combating climate change. Yet marine life itself is under acute threat from the effects of global warming, pollution and overuse. Now that the UN's Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement has entered into force, we must move quickly to designate marine protected areas in the world’s oceans. The Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa is an opportunity to further develop our international partnerships in pursuit of this goal. In particular, cooperation with countries in the Global South must be stepped up as we implement the agreement."
This year’s conference is the first global ocean conference since the UN’s BBNJ Agreement entered into force in January 2026, marking a major milestone for global marine conservation and protection. Germany's formal accession to the agreement will be sealed when Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider deposits Germany’s instrument of ratification with the United Nations this September. This move will make Germany a full voting member at the first Ocean COP in January 2027. The necessary legislative process for ratification and implementation was already completed at the end of March.
Swift implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is a crucial step toward meeting the international community’s goal of effectively protecting at least 30 percent of the world’s marine areas by 2030 (known as the 30x30 target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework). Protecting the high seas is key to achieving the 30x30 target, which is why Germany is already actively working to ensure that marine protected areas are rapidly designated under the UN's BBNJ Agreement. This includes the "Living High Seas" project, which was launched at the beginning of the year. The Federal Environment Ministry is providing 20 million euros for this project through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). This funding will support the partner countries – Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, Micronesia, and Senegal – in developing initial proposals for marine protected areas on the high seas by 2031. In view of this strong commitment, Germany stands out as an international pioneer in marine conservation.
The "Living High Seas" project is part of the voluntary commitments totalling nearly 270 million euros that Germany announced at the Our Ocean Conference. The package also includes Germany’s pledge to support the Blue Action Fund (BAF) with an additional 19 million euros. Established by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by other European countries, the BAF promotes the establishment and management of marine protected areas in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as the sustainable use of the oceans, with the aim of preserving marine biodiversity and improving the living conditions of coastal communities.
Other issues and priorities of importance to Germany at the conference, which is being attended by both the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUKN) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), include the implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and efforts to enlist additional allies for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, including among African states. Currently, in addition to Germany, a further 41 countries support a "precautionary pause" or moratorium, calling for no commercial deep-sea mining activities to be authorised on the international seabed until sufficient knowledge is available about the deep sea and the potential impacts of deep-sea mining, and until a regulatory framework has been adopted by the International Seabed Authority that effectively protects the marine environment.
Background:
The OOC conference series was initiated by the then US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014 and has since been held almost annually by different hosts. Participants in the OOC include government representatives, representatives of regional and international organisations and partnerships, the international business community, and civil society groups, including international NGOs.