Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australia is concerned about the threat posed by prisoners convicted of terror charges who are being released from jails across Asia.

Ms Bishop has addressed a counter-terrorism forum hosted by US secretary of state John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

She said hundreds of convicted terrorists are soon to be released from jails in the Asian region — particularly in Indonesia — and that they pose a significant threat if they have not been rehabilitated.

"A significant number of prisoners in Indonesian prisons who have been convicted of terrorist-related activities will be released. It runs to the hundreds," she said.

"And of course, if they've not been rehabilitated, then they pose a serious risk not only to Indonesia but to our region."

She said there was concern those prisoners were radicalising fellow inmates and spreading extremist ideology.

"It is also a concern that we have this kind of perverted ideology [that] could be spread within the prison system as it has been in other countries," Ms Bishop said.

She and her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi have been discussing ways to rehabilitate and reintegrate radicalised inmates and the pair will jointly host a conference on the issue next month.

Ms Bishop also said Australia was "responding robustly" to the rising number of citizens travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight with Islamic State terrorists.

She said Australia had undertaken a number of measures to curb radicalisation, including creating diversion programs and amending laws for people who go and fight abroad.

She said there were about 120 Australians fighting with terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.

"Our number has doubled since last year, but I don't expect it to double again by next year," she said.

"We are having some success in interrupting the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, but I wouldn't say we have yet turned the tide."

Reports in the US suggest there are now up to 30,000 foreign fighters in the region.

Ms Bishop also declared Australia is committed to doing more to ending poverty.

Last week, the UN formally agreed to the 2030 agenda — a series of sustainable development goals for the next 15 years.

Ms Bishop said Australia will help countries in the Asia Pacific region develop their economies and bring more of their people out of poverty.

"The true measure of success is not how much we promise but how much we deliver," Ms Bishop said.

"It will be by working together that we will deliver on the ambition of the 2030 agenda."