Following a cascade of grim reports on the gathering pace of global warming, Fiji's prime minister made an open plea to the world for 'urgent action' on climate change at UN talks in Bonn Monday.

"Our collective plea for the world is to maintain the course we set in Paris," said Frank Bainimarama, referring to the 196-nation treaty inked in 2015.

"Our world is in distress from extreme weather events caused by climate change -- destructive hurricanes, fires, floods, droughts, melting ice and changes to agriculture that threaten our food security," he told the opening plenary of the 12-day talks.