Africa's First Our Ocean Conference: A Crucial Test of Global Cooperation on High Seas Protection and Sustainable Deep-Sea Mining
Original framing: ““At Africa’s First Our Ocean Conference, a Test of Global Will on High Seas Protection and Deep-Sea Mining”” — Global Issues
The piece situates the conference within a legacy of colonial resource extraction and the historic marginalisation of the Global South from ocean governance. It draws a clear parallel between past exploitation of fisheries and the emerging threat of deep‑sea mining. This historical framing underscores the urgency of redefining power relations at sea.
The Africa‑hosted Our Ocean Conference sits at the intersection of historic exploitation, emerging scientific uncertainty, and a demand for inclusive governance.
While the article foregrounds geopolitical equity, it underrepresents Indigenous, artistic, and marginalised community voices that could enrich the discourse. A trickster lens exposes the paradox of a global will test that may perpetuate existing power imbalances unless countered by co‑created frameworks, precautionary moratoria, and capacity‑building initiatives. Integrating deep‑time cultural wisdom with rigorous scientific modelling offers a pathway to a resilient, just ocean future.