One Ocean Hub at the UK-Africa Nature Roundtable: Strengthening Fair Partnerships for Conservation
The UK-Africa nature strategy needs to expand to ocean ecosystems and marine biodiversity, building on lessons learnt in fair research partnerships and inclusive conservation practices.
On 10 February 2025, One Ocean Hub Deputy Director Philile Mbatha was invited by UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, to a Roundtable for a UK-Africa Approach to Nature. The Roundtable was hosted by UK’s Minister for Africa, Lord Collins and brought together conservation organisations working in Africa to consult on the UK Government’s development of a comprehensive strategy for Africa, set to be published later in 2025.
Discussions at the roundtable centred on:
•A vision for nature in Africa, informed by existing conservation efforts between UK organisations and African partners.
•Building fair and equitable partnerships between the UK and Africa to ensure long-term sustainability; and
•Balancing conservation with economic growth, while addressing critical challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, and insecurity.
The One Ocean Hub’s contributions
Philile provided valuable insights into the role of ocean governance in fostering equitable global partnerships, as she had also done at the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference and the UN Small-Scale Fishers’ Summit. She highlighted ongoing initiatives led by One Ocean Hub and its partners across Africa, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean, emphasizing lessons learned on fair partnerships and areas that require further support.
Philile has conducted ground-breaking research on continuing exclusionary practices in conservation, based on the misunderstanding of customary norms and ecological practices of Indigenous Peoples and small-scale fisheries, as powerfully captured in the Empatheatre production Umkhosi Wenala (see 15-min documentary here).
Philile’s contributions helped the Minister understand:
•How ocean conservation and governance can be integrated into the UK-Africa nature strategy?
•What has been achieved so far through fair collaborations between the UK and partners in the Global South?
•What are the challenges and opportunities in securing long-term funding for conservation efforts?
One pressing issue raised during the discussion was the UK’s commitment to funding conservation initiatives worldwide, especially in light of recent funding cuts from the United States. Participants explored how the UK can take a leadership role in sustaining environmental funding and conservation programs.
Outlook
The UK Government is currently developing a comprehensive strategy for Africa, set to be published later in 2025. A crucial part of this process is engaging conservation experts to shape policies that promote sustainability, inclusivity, and fair partnerships. In addition to One Ocean Hub, the Roundtable gathered representatives from Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, TRAFFIC, Flora and Fauna International, The Nature Conservancy and BirdLife International.
The One Ocean Hub has played a crucial role in broadening the discussion beyond terrestrial conservation, ensuring that ocean ecosystems and marine biodiversity are recognised as essential components of the UK-Africa nature strategy. As the UK Government continues to refine its Africa strategy and will move into its implementation phase, the One Ocean Hub remains committed to providing inputs for fostering inclusive, sustainable, fair and transformative partnerships that protect both people and nature.