Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung senator Lidia Thorpe has called on the federal government to urgently implement the recommendations of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, following news that a 10 year old First Nations child has died by an apparent suicide while under the supervision of the WA government.

The Senator said that while the final report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families was delivered in 1997, to date the majority of its recommendations have not been implemented, noting that many of the recommendations point towards the need for a national approach that affords First Nations people self-determination over decisions about their families and children.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died on Friday night in Perth while under the care of the WA's Department of Communities.

The news of the child's death comes as several state governments face racial discrimination class actions over removal of First Nations children from their families, in breach of Aboriginal Child Placement Principles.

Human Rights Commission complaints over child removals have been filed in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Senator Thorpe noted that this years' Closing the Gap annual report showed rates of Indigenous suicide have increased, as has the number of First Nations children being removed from their families, adding that evidence shows children removed from families are at a higher risk of suicide and have an increased likelihood of contact with the criminal legal system.

The independent senator for Victoria said the federal government is failing to protect First Nations children.

"They should be deeply ashamed of the news of this young boy's death," she said.

"The recommendations of the Bringing Them Home report clearly point to the need for federal leadership on this. That report is sitting on (federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda) Burney's shelf – she should read it and implement its recommendations urgently.

"Under Labor, government departments are taking babies just moments after birth, before mothers even get the chance to hold them or see their faces. It's atrocious cruelty."

Senator Thorpe said the system is "not protection, it's a national shame".

"Today kids learn about the stolen generation in school, but what they're not taught is that these policies never ended. The removal of First Nations children is an ongoing genocidal project being perpetrated through government policy every day," she said.

"The closing the Gap report showed that Labor are subjecting a whole new stolen generation of children to the trauma of removal."

Senator Thorpe noted that with Labor in office in every jurisdiction but Tasmania, the federal government should be taking the opportunity "to lead their colleagues towards life-saving reform, not dodging responsibility".

"There are incredible community-controlled programs that provide culturally safe and self-determined wrap-around services for First Peoples and their families, which are proven to work. This includes Bubup Wilam in Victoria, Yarrabi Bamirr in ACT, and Nelly's Healing Place in NSW, to name a few," she said.

"Alongside implementing the Bringing Them Home recommendations, Labor must properly resource programs like these and expand similar programs nationally in collaboration with First Peoples.

"I send my love and strength to this young boy's family and community. I'm fighting with you for justice."

On Wednesday Minister Burney said the death was "shocking, heartbreaking and demands deep reflection".

"My heart goes out to the family and community in WA that has lost a son so young," she said.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said it was "impossible not to be moved by" the young boy's death and it was a "tragic circumstance".

"It certainly does speak to the fact that we have enormous challenges going forward in relation to closing the gap," he told ABC TV on Thursday.

"We really need to be looking at ways in which we can do business in a different way, because the gap is stubbornly persistent.

"News of this kind only adds to redoubling our efforts to make sure we do everything we can to make inroads in respect to the gap."

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has reported on the poorer health, social and emotional wellbeing outcomes in children removed from their families.

In 2006 a First Nations child was 5.7 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than a non-First Nations child, but by 2022 this figure had ballooned out to over 14 times more likely.

In March, Senator Thorpe delivered a letter to the government, cosigned by twelve federal crossbenchers, calling for action on child removals, and for the newly established National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's commissioner to oversee the implementation of recommendations.

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