This initiative is viewed as a significant step for African leadership at the upcoming Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, underscoring the need for locally driven solutions to ocean challenges.

Experts see the Yaoundé Declaration as a demonstration of strong regional leadership, emphasizing transboundary cooperation in managing ocean resources sustainably.

Despite these efforts, the Gulf of Guinea faces ongoing security challenges, with piracy incidents increasing by 30% in 2025, and is highly vulnerable to sea level rise, which could displace up to two million people by 2100.

Cameroon’s signing of the BBNJ Agreement ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference reflects its commitment to establishing a legally binding framework for marine biodiversity conservation in international waters.

The Gulf of Guinea is crucial for millions who depend on it for food and livelihoods, yet it continues to face threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, making sustainable management efforts more urgent.

The regional efforts align with the goals of the Ocean Panel, a coalition of 18 countries advocating for sustainable management of national waters and promoting the concept of Sustainable Ocean Plans.

Eight African nations surrounding the Gulf of Guinea—Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, and Nigeria—have committed to sustainably managing 100% of their ocean areas by 2030 under the Yaoundé Declaration, aiming to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

This regional commitment was made during the International Conference on the Blue Economy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and emphasizes the importance of transboundary cooperation and developing Sustainable Ocean Plans to guide marine and coastal ecosystem protection.

Cynthia Barzuna from WRI’s Ocean Program highlighted that the Gulf of Guinea is a vital but vulnerable ecosystem threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing, issues that the new SOPs seek to address.

The commitment also includes the development of Sustainable Ocean Plans by 2030 to ensure the sustainable use, protection, and restoration of marine resources, with Cameroon signing the BBNJ Agreement to strengthen marine biodiversity preservation.