THE Pacific’s fight against rising sea levels will be brought closer to world leaders through a proposed visit to Tuvalu during the pre-COP conference in Nadi.
Fiji is hoping more world leaders will attend the conference and have the opportunity to see first-hand the impact of climate change on Pacific Island countries.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said leaders would have an opportunity to travel to Tuvalu to witness the effects of rising sea levels before returning to Fiji.
“We were hoping that more world leaders will come to Fiji for the pre-COP conference,” he said.
Mr Rabuka said Fiji had asked Australia to support hosting the pre-COP conference in the Pacific before the main event in Turkey.
“It will be an opportunity for them to go out and see for themselves what is happening in some of the islands that have been badly affected by climate change, particularly in Tuvalu.”
However, he said some leaders would not be able to attend because of other priorities.
“Unfortunately, some of the leaders will not be able to come, and I don’t blame them. They probably have higher priorities.”
He said the Pacific needed more leaders to attend so they could better understand the region’s concerns.
“Those of us right in the front line of the brunt of climate change.
“We are hoping more of them would come, so that when we go and present our case to them, they’d be able to understand well.”
The pre-COP meeting is expected to provide an important platform for Pacific nations to highlight the impacts of climate change.
