Systemic issues in child protection involving Indigenous children have not been raised with the government at the United Nations, the Prime Minister says, despite multiple UN reports highlighting concerns about First Nations children.

Speaking in California over the weekend, Anthony Albanese was asked about the issues in Port Hedland — first reported by The Australian — which concerned allegations vulnerable Aboriginal children were being left alone, sometimes for days at a time, in a home owned by the WA Department of Housing and Works.

Asked if systemic issues within child protection agencies were failing Indigenous children in remote communities, the PM told reporters: "It hasn't been relayed to me at the UN at all."

"And, of course... state governments have responsibility for child protection," he added.

Asked if there is a "greater role ...for federal intervention" in the child protection space, the Prime Minister added: "Malarndirri McCarthy, the minister, is the appropriate person to respond."

Whilst Senator McCarthy is the minister responsible for First Peoples, child protection — which is the remit of states and territories — broadly falls under the federal social services portfolio. Tanya Plibersek is the Minister for Social Services.

Mr Albanese's comments — which may only concern his current visit to New York — seemingly fail to acknowledge the number of times the United Nations — across different forums — has engaged with the federal government since it took office in 2022 over the treatment of Indigenous children, as well as issues of systemic child removals.

In 2023, the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) visited Australia in response to a request from the Noongar Family Safety and Wellbeing Council in Western Australia.

"The Expert Mechanism shares the deep concern of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination on Racial Discrimination regarding the high proportion of Indigenous children in contact with the criminal justice system," it said in its April 2024 report on the visit.

"And that Indigenous children face a higher risk of being removed from their families and placed in alternative care facilities, many of which are not culturally appropriate and in which, too often, they also face abuse."

Senator Lidia Thorpe told National Indigenous Times the UN "repeatedly raised concerns about child protection with his government, including the dire state of the system in Western Australia".

"The Albanese Government absolutely knew about those concerns and formally responded to the UN in January this year. They consulted the WA Government before doing so," she said.

Earlier this year, concluding its observations on the sixth periodic report of Australia, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed its concern about the "worsening indicators relating to child protection and early childhood development".

"While noting some areas of improvement, the Committee is concerned that overall implementation remains insufficient, that, for many targets, efforts are off track or the situation is worsening, and that progress remains uneven across jurisdictions," it wrote.

The Committee added it remained "concerned about the persistent and worsening overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care" and the "continuing disparities in access to affordable and culturally appropriate early childhood education and care services, particularly in remote areas".

As a UN member state and signatory, both reports would have been made available to the Federal Government.

Senator Thorpe said it was "misleading to suggest that this is simply a state and territory matter, and that there is nothing for the Commonwealth to do".

"The Albanese Government has a national child protection framework, which sits with Minister Plibersek, and they have responsibilities under the international human rights agreements this country has signed up to," she said.

"It is extremely disappointing to see the Prime Minister again refer these issues to the Minister for Indigenous Australians.

"Senator McCarthy has a role in advocating for change within government, but she does not have ministerial power over the child protection system or the Department of Social Services. She cannot fix these problems on her own, and she should not be expected to carry responsibility for every government failure involving Aboriginal children or people."

Last week, Western Australia's Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski flew to the Pilbara after reports that up to 15 children could be found at a house in South Hedland, including the children of the tenants, with parents reportedly leaving regularly for days at a time.

The report suggested child protection workers knew about the conditions at the home, which included allegations that children were sleeping on soiled clothes on the floor. Former department staff and WA Police officers told The Australian they believed current staff were not fulfilling their duties.

On Friday, the government announced ministers and Indigenous leaders would attend a roundtable on child safety in Western Australia this week, after persistent calls by Aboriginal leaders, led by Dr Hannah McGlade.

"Too often, Aboriginal women are not heard or included in critical decision-making about child safety. We are here, ready to work with the government and share solutions we know will work," Dr McGlade said.

Newly appointed Indigenous Child Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter, whose legislated role gives her the power to advise ministers and question bureaucrats, said she will "convene an independent roundtable in Western Australia to hear directly from affected community".

"The insights gained through these discussions will inform any future advice and recommendations I provide to Governments," she said.