Wong urges elevation of Pacific voices

Australia has an obligation to let Pacific island voices be heard around the world.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong's comments came on the first day of a visit to the region by a bipartisan delegation of federal MPs including Senator Wong, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, and opposition counterparts Simon Birmingham and Michael McCormack.

The group arrived in Vanuatu on Monday where they met with the Pacific nation's Foreign Affairs Minister Jotham Napat.

In a joint press conference, Senator Wong said it was Australia's responsibility to take on board the concerns from Pacific nations, particularly on issues like climate change.

"They speak about climate with the authenticity and weight of lived experience," she told reporters.

"And part of Australia's obligations is to not only respect that but to elevate those voices in the international forum."

Australia has recently launched a joint bid with Pacific nations to host the UN climate summit in 2026.

Senator Wong said Australia would continue to engage in the region on climate change, which was the single biggest risk to the "the livelihoods, the security and the wellbeing of peoples of the Pacific".

"When we come here as Australians, we come here recognising that is a truth which this country and its people and the region in which it resides has been dealing with for a very long time."

Talks with Vanuatu also centred on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, which supports more than 9000 workers from Vanuatu.

Senator Wong said it was critical to get the scheme right.

"It is our obligation to make it as supportive as possible and as decent as possible, so we don't want exploitation," she said,

"We had some real concerns about how some of these matters were dealt with in the past ... we want better worker safeguards."

Senator Birmingham said it was in Australia's best interest to ensure relations with Pacific nations were strengthened.

"We are making clear that Australia's support for Vanuatu and for all Pacific island nations is a partnership that is valued across politics in Australia," he said,

"It is one of the highest priorities for all parties of government and one in which we are committed to working closely with one another cooperatively."

As part of the visit to Vanuatu, the group signed an Australia-Melanesian Spearhead Group memorandum of understanding on gender cooperation.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group is made up of nations in the region including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The bipartisan group will also travel to Micronesia and Palau as part of the trip.