The Foreign Minister has told a special session of the United Nations Security Council that small island nations need protection from climate change and resource exploitation.
Murray McCully Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
The special session, instigated by New Zealand, is being held in New York today to discuss issues facing dozens of small island nations in the Pacific.
Mr McCully said many were not able to properly patrol their exclusive economic zones, allowing illegal fishers to poach about $US400 million of tuna in the last year alone.
He said small island developing states mad up a large percentage of UN members, but few get the chance to raise such issues at the Security Council.
Mr McCully said the council was used to hearing about peace and security from the perspective of larger powers and this a rare opportunity to hear directly from smaller members.
He said issues like climate change and protecting fisheries were just some of the many challenges faced by small island nations.