The secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum says climate change will be a key item for discussion at this week's Smaller Islands States Officials meeting in Fiji.
In the lead up to the 45th Pacific Islands Forum summit later this month in Palau, the Smaller Islands States meeting and a pre-forum session of the Forum Officials is being held at the Secretariat's headquarters in Suva.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade says efforts are being made among the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific, or CROP, agencies to focus on the needs of the smaller island state countries.
He says this year climate change and preparations for the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in September will feature on the summit's agenda.
The pre-forum Forum Officials session convenes as the annual governing council meeting of the Secretariat and will recommend key agenda items for Pacific leaders to consider during the Palau meeting.
