Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to announce financial help for small island states affected by climate change at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith foreshadowed Mr Rudd's announcement on financing - one of the still unsettled issues within the new climate treaty - on Thursday, Fairfax newspapers say.
"We are proposing to, when the Prime Minister is here, make a major announcement so far as climate change financing is concerned, particularly as that applies to small island states whether they're in the Pacific, the Caribbean, or the Indian Ocean," Mr Smith said.
The funding for adaptation and mitigation would be directed to the least developed nations.
Mr Smith noted that there are a large number of small low-lying states, not just in the Pacific but in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, that are part of the Commonwealth.
"They're the nations who have contributed least to the difficulty but will stand to lose the most as a result of the adverse consequences," he said.
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