Kenya calls for implementation, investment and measurable impact at the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12)

Kenya has called for implementation, investment and measurable impact at the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Nairobi Convention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as the region marks 40 years of cooperation in protecting the Western Indian Ocean.
Delivering Kenya’s statement, Ms. Linda Kosgei, Director of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, emphasized the need to translate regional commitments into tangible results through restoration of mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs, tackling marine pollution, strengthening community-led conservation and mobilizing predictable financing for a sustainable blue economy.
Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to regional ocean governance through the signing of the Amended Protocol on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity and Protected Areas, strengthening cooperation towards biodiversity conservation and the global target of conserving at least 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030.
Kenya further called for stronger investment in blue carbon initiatives, sustainable fisheries, marine spatial planning and nature-based solutions that deliver environmental and socioeconomic benefits to coastal communities.
As the Nairobi Convention enters its fifth decade, Kenya urged Contracting Parties to move from pilots to programmes, from commitments to implementation, and from evidence to investment, ensuring that regional cooperation delivers healthier oceans, resilient coastal communities and shared prosperity.
Forty years of cooperation. One shared ocean. A renewed commitment to measurable action.