Our Ocean Conference Exclusion Highlights Rising Geopolitical Pressure on Marine Science Cooperation
The Diplomat reports that Taiwan’s delegation was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa after Kenya revoked travel authorizations and denied entry to at least one Taiwanese scholar. The episode may set a precedent for geopolitical pressure shaping participation in Track 1.5/Track 2 ocean-governance forums, with potential downstream effects on fisheries transparency and BBNJ implementation.