Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 1 to 10.
After more than fifteen years of negotiations and public campaigning, the Global Ocean Treaty entered into force in early 2026. For the first time, areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction are subject to an international framework intended to facilitate large-scale marine conservation. Environmental organisations view the agreement as a decisive shift, addressing decades of fragmented governance and limited oversight in the High Seas, where economic interests have often taken priority over ecological concerns.
Less than one percent of these waters is currently fully or highly protected. This regulatory gap has enabled industrial fishing and potential deep-sea mining activities to proceed with relatively few constraints. [I] The Treaty introduces a procedure allowing governments to designate marine protected areas in international waters. If applied ambitiously, such measures could safeguard over one-third of the global ocean, forming an unprecedented network of protected ecosystems.
The agreement's relevance extends beyond biodiversity. Oceans absorb a significant share of global carbon emissions and help stabilise the planet's climate systems, acting as a buffer against more extreme warming trends. Nearly half of Earth's biodiversity exists beneath the waves, and billions depend on marine ecosystems for food security and economic stability. Protecting the High Seas is therefore closely linked to both environmental balance and human welfare.
[II] However, legal recognition alone does not ensure ecological recovery. Implementation will rely on political resolve, credible scientific assessment and cooperation among states. Proposals for protected zones must be supported by evidence-based evaluations and developed in consultation with affected communities. In the absence of effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, conservation commitments may lack practical impact.
Governments have pledged to protect 30 percent of the world's oceans by 2030 – a target commonly known as "30x30." [III] Achieving this ambition requires identifying ecologically critical regions and limiting extractive activities accordingly. The first Conference of the Parties (COP) will influence how obligations are interpreted and applied in practice.
[IV] The Treaty signals progress in international environmental diplomacy. Whether it ultimately reshapes ocean governance will depend on the extent to which states convert formal commitments into sustained action.
(Adapted from https://www.greenpeace.org.uk)