Global Compact Network Kenya joined other stakeholders around the world at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France for the official launch of the Ocean Centres, a strategic initiative aimed at advancing ocean safety and sustainability.
Kenya has been designated as one of the seven countries to host an Ocean Centre as part of a groundbreaking global initiative launched by the United Nations Global Compact in partnership with Lloyd's Register Foundation.
Hosted locally by Global Compact Network Kenya, the Centre aims to strengthen safety, resilience, & inclusion across Kenya’s blue economy. The Kenya Ocean Centre will contribute to a wider global exchange of best practices with Ocean Centres in other countries including Brazil, Ghana, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.
These Centres will work collectively toward a global Ocean Centres Manifesto—a blueprint for action that reflects both global trends & local wisdom.
The goal of the Kenya Ocean Centre is to co-create homegrown strategies that make Kenya’s blue economy safer, fairer, and more resilient—while also attracting sustainable investment.
Globally the ocean economy is already equivalent in size to the world’s fifth largest — supporting 90 per cent of global trade & central to transitions in infrastructure, energy, climate resilience, food security & tourism. The ocean powers our global economy, supporting 3 billion people and generating up to $6 trillion annually, yet its health is in decline.
The Kenya Ocean Centre will focus on four priority areas critical to the country’s ocean economy:
⏹️ In aquaculture & fishing, it will improve safety, support sustainable practices, & promote the inclusion of women & youth.
⏹️ In shipping & ports, it will enhance worker safety, skills development, & environmental safeguards.
⏹️ The Centre will also explore offshore wind as a clean energy source, building local capacity & policy support.
⏹️ In finance & investment, it will unlock sustainable funding opportunities & ensure equitable access to coastal communities, SMEs, & local enterprises.
“These four pillars reflect the real challenges & opportunities we face in Kenya from the shores of Lamu to the docks of Mombasa,” said Judy Njino, Executive Director of Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK). “We need an ocean economy that works for all—especially those on the frontlines of climate change, unemployment, and marine degradation.” She added.