Indigenous leaders from across the country have gathered on Larrakia Country to meet with Indigenous Affairs Ministers from the Commonwealth, states, and territories, urging urgent action on key priorities impacting First Nations people.

The meeting follows the deaths of two Indigenous people in custody last month, sparking widespread protests after the Northern Territory Government refused to permit an independent investigation.

Representatives from the Coalition of Peaks are echoing Indigenous, legal, and human rights organisations in calling for sweeping reforms.

Coalition of Peaks acting Lead Convenor, Scott Wilson, said the gathering provided a critical opportunity to have open discussions about the status of the Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review of the National Agreement, which is due to be released on Saturday.

"The Coalition of Peaks will continue to push governments to adjust the way they do business with our people," Mr Wilson said.

"There is significant change required to realise the kind of partnerships that can deliver self-determination, equality and the adequate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and community organisations to lead on the issues that affect our lives."

The Coalition — representing 80 Peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and more than 800 community-controlled organisations — says they are prioritising action on youth justice reform, legal rights, access to inland waters, reducing the number of children in out-of-home care, broad justice reform, and strengthening the data policy partnership.

Mr Wilson stressed that evidence shows improved outcomes when Indigenous organisations are "properly resourced to lead".

"Partnership must go beyond words – it must be backed by sustained investment and real accountability," he said.

While the federal government says they are pressuring states and territories — with a communique from Ministers responsible for Indigenous Affairs across the country earlier this week highlighting Target 11 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (reducing the number of Indigenous youth in custody) — many jurisdictions continue to defy this goal.

Over the past two years, most have passed punitive laws which contravene the agreement.

Last year, the Northern Territory lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 10 — against expert advice. Victoria and New South Wales introduced strict bail laws, condemned by human rights groups, while Queensland enacted "adult crime, adult time," which can see children as young as ten sentenced to life in prison.

The recent deaths in custody of 24-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White — who had a disability and was living in supported accommodation— and 68-year-old Wadeye Elder, known as TN, have sparked national protests and renewed demands for independent investigations, but also calls to examine the laws which lead to people being violently arrested in a supermarket in the first place.

These calls have come from Mr White's family, Indigenous leaders, and politicians — including Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy and Labor MP Marion Scrymgour.

However, the NT Chief Minister and NT Police have rejected these demands, claiming the current investigation is being conducted "under strict protocols and with full transparency".

Speaking on ABC RN, Senator McCarthy said: "No one should go to a supermarket and think that they'll never return home."

"No one should try and board a plane and think they'll never ever live again," Ms McCarthy said.

"These are two incredibly difficult episodes for those families, they are still trying to come to terms with it. So is the broader Northern Territory and Australian community."

Asked about Ms Scrymgour's comments that the federal government should take leadership on deaths in custody, Senator McCarthy agreed but said the responsibility must be shared.

"What we need to ensure is that states and territories also take full responsibility here with the areas that they have jurisdiction over," she said.

Although the federal government has frequently pushed responsibility for justice reforms to the states, even in the NT —where the Commonwealth holds significant jurisdiction — it has refused to intervene. The Prime Minister has ruled out federal involvement in investigating Mr White's death.

"I need to be convinced that people in Canberra know better than people in the Northern Territory about how to deal with these issues," the Prime Minister said earlier this month.