UN General Assembly
2004

by many island States. We in Papua New Guinea are no more immune to climate change and sea level rise than are many other small island States. The island communities in Papua New Guinea, like those of our neighbouring countries in the Pacific, are being affected adversely by sea level rise. We empathize with our colleagues from many other island States which continually suffer from the effects of the problem. Our plight is further compounded by natural disasters, including the ravages of hurricanes, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and tsunamis. In that context, our sympathies go to the peoples and the Governments of the Caribbean region, especially those of Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, among others, as well as to the inhabitants of cities and towns of the southern states of the United States of America, which have been devastated by the recent hurricanes. As a global community we must pool our resources and consider ways of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in order to help those States