Several Pacific island states threatened by global warming and the resulting rise in sea levels have asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to oblige the countries of the world to take stricter climate protection measures.

The court in The Hague must make it clear that states are obliged "to protect the rights of present and future generations in the face of the negative effects of climate change," said a statement published on Monday after a meeting of the island states in Fiji.

The island nation of Vanuatu initiated the call.

The region is already in a climate emergency that poses an "existential threat," it said.

In order for the island states to actually appeal to the ICJ, they need a majority at the United Nations General Assembly in September for their initiative.

Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Tonga also attended the summit in Fiji. Rising sea levels and intensifying storms are already causing serious problems in the Pacific, where many people live just above sea level.