UN Meeting

The Prime Minister spoke of the vulnerabilities of Pacific LDCs, including SIDS, to the whims of climate change.

"We face global commons issues among which climate change is our greatest security threat ... The Doha Programme of Action prioritizes climate change and will help LDCs build resilience against future economic and environmental shocks..."

Gaza health officials said 16 women and 10 children were among the dead.

Israel's military said it had been targeting leaders and infrastructure linked to Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.

Hamas launched a new barrage of rockets towards southern Israel on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a UN Security Council meeting has begun, with international mediators hoping to broker a ceasefire.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting by describing the violence as "utterly appalling" and said the fighting must stop immediately.

The military is reported to have taken away the bodies of those killed, and the true number of deaths may never be accurately established.

Witnesses told local media that soldiers had used heavy weapons and had shot at anything that moved.

More than 600 people have been killed since last month's military coup.

The military has resorted to increasing levels of violence to maintain its grip on power.

In 2014, regional leaders and the United Nations secretary-general were among 3000 delegates who met in Apia to address issues in the Pacific.

In opening the latest meeting, the Prime Minister of Tonga, 'Akilisi Pohiva, said the region was at a critical juncture in terms of common interests in the sustainable development of the islands.

Mr Pohiva said the SAMOA Pathway was endorsed in 2014 and it was critical that leaders recalled the mandate of the conference, especially in light of related international and regional processes that had occured since.

Tonga's human rights record is under scrutiny as part of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review process.

Several countries on the council called for Tonga to upscale efforts to ratify the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, known as CEDAW.

Tonga has been preparing to ratify the treaty since 2015 but progress has been slow because of stiff opposition from those fearing it could open the way to same sex marriage and abortion.

Representing Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Foreign Minister Pato raised the issues at a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders with the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Danny Russell in New York on Friday.

Minister Pato further expressed his desire for United States’ backing at the COP21 Conference in Paris this year on climate issues that are of vital significance to lives and communities in the Pacific.