Five Countries Join Coral Commitment, Raising Total to 20
Five new governments signed the High-Level Climate-Resilient coral Reef Commitment at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, on June 17, 2026. The addition lifted the coalition to 20 reef countries across all coral regions. The pledge now faces a practical test: whether those governments move fast enough to protect the reefs most likely to survive climate change.
Dr. Susan Lieberman, WCS’s Vice President of International Policy, said the 20 signatories show that governments are embracing science-based action and that there is renewed hope for coral reefs. She also called for more signatories before CBD CoP17 in October and UNFCCC COP31 in November.
Lieberman on the commitment
Lieberman said, “With 20 coral reef countries now signing the high-level commitment, governments are embracing science-based action and making a statement that there is renewed hope for coral reefs.” She added, “WCS stands shoulder to shoulder with our partners to deliver the best scientific, technical, and financial support to ensure governments can maximize actions to protect these reefs in national biodiversity, climate, and other strategies and actions.”
The commitment was first launched at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, in June 2025. Since then, the coalition has moved from launch to expansion, with the latest five governments joining in Mombasa and pushing the total to 20.
Mombasa and Kenya's coast
Dr. Eng. Festus Ng'eno, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, said, “Our reefs are not postcards. They are lifelines – sustaining over 500,000 livelihoods along Kenya's coast alone.” He added, “That is why this Commitment cannot be a signal of good intentions; it must be a binding signal of political will.”
Ng'eno also said, “We need a financing revolution: reef conservation funded by a budget line, not a brochure, and treated as climate investment, not charity.” The pledge calls on governments to identify and prioritize climate-resilient coral reefs in national policies and 30x30 planning, while also integrating reef protection into national biodiversity and climate frameworks.
Protection gap remains
The broader backdrop is stark. Coral reefs cover less than 0.1% of the ocean floor, support around 25% of all marine life, and generate up to $2.7 trillion each year in ecosystem services. They also underpin the food security, livelihoods, and coastal protection of nearly 1 billion people.
Yet only 28% of identified climate-resilient reefs currently fall within protected or conserved areas. The commitment also asks governments to reduce local pressures like water pollution and destructive fishing, implement national reef monitoring and action plans, and ensure community leadership and local knowledge.
For coastal communities and reef managers, the next step is straightforward: the signatories now have to turn the June 17 pledge into national policy, financing, and enforcement before the October and November international meetings Lieberman named.
