INTERVIEW: 'We are family, we should work together': Palau President's challenge to Australia

Palau, an independent island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, consists of more than 300 islands in Micronesia. It's a popular destination for divers and ecotourists and visitors are required to take the "Palau Pledge" to protect its ecosystems. But Palau is already facing the immediate reality of climate change, with rising sea levels, coral bleaching, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss. Surangel Whipps Junior, the President of Palau, has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and wants to see the COP31 global climate conference held in the Pacific region rather than in Turkiye, because this is where climate change is already having devastating impacts. He's been talking to SBS Senior International Correspondent Ben Lewis, and told him that Palau and Australia are family - and the two countries need to work together.

President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. Source: AAP / EPA/SARAH YENESEL

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