Six Small Island nations in the Pacific are calling for a mechanism to address loss and damage and to include a facility to support people displaced by the impacts of climate change.
Leaders of Cook Island, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru Palau and Tuvalu meet at the Laguna Hotel in Port Moresby ahead of the Pacific Island Leaders’ Summit this week.
The Niue government was not present as their team is yet to arrive in Port Moresby.
In a press conference they issued a special declaration on climate change that demanded the world limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and that countries uphold the principle of "polluter pays".
Chair of the Small Island States and Prime Minister of Tuvalu Enele Sosene Sopoago says they are deeply concerned that the futures of their nations are threatened by the impacts of climate change.
“We are already suffering the impacts of climate change and call upon the international community to respond with concerted and ambitious approach to address the greatest threat to humanity,” the declaration says.
The declaration says nations will gather in Paris for the World Climate Change meeting (COP21) at the end of this year and it will be their last chance to reach an outcome that must reverse the global warming pathway to ensure the future survival pf their nations, people and culture.