BANGKOK, Thailand (Radio Australia): April 30, 2002 - The United Nations has again warned Pacific Island states that low-lying coastal areas face a growing threat from the effects of global warming and rising sea levels.

The executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Kim Hak-Su, has urged cooperation between the public and private sectors to combat the crisis.

Mr. Kim said the negative impacts of climate change are continuing to intensify in both Asia and in the Pacific region.

He told a three-day Bangkok workshop on the issue that sea level rise is threatening the very existence of some Pacific Island states.

The meeting brought together energy and conservation experts from the public and private sectors to discuss the Kyoto Protocol and its Asia-Pacific implementation.