The world's poorest countries say they will insist that the UN's upcoming climate talks push ahead with proposals for a fund to compensate vulnerable nations for climate-inflicted damage.

Ministers and experts from the 46-nation Least Developed Countries (LDC) bloc, meeting in Dakar, said their countries were most exposed to climate impact but least to blame for the carbon emissions that cause it. In a statement issued late Wednesday ahead of the November climate talks, they said that setting up a funding mechanism for loss and damage was of 'crucial importance.'

They also reiterated a call for 'all parties, particularly major emitters' to make swift and deep cuts in carbon emissions, and for rich economies to honour past pledges on climate aid.

COP27 -- the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) -- runs in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh from November 6-18.

The annual parlays are dominated by often fierce debate on national pledges on emissions curbs and on funding.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 16, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.