U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he's traveling to three South Pacific island nations to see the effects of climate change firsthand.

Speaking in Fiji on Wednesday, the U.N. leader says he wants to learn about the work being undertaken by island communities to bolster resilience. He says the Pacific needs stronger international support because climate change is taking place faster than efforts to address it.

Guterres says island nations must speak out about the problems they face with climate change.

He was speaking at a meeting with officials from the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, Fiji's capital.

He also plans to visit the island nations of Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

His trip comes ahead of the Climate Action Summit that he plans to convene in September in New York.