The Northern Territory and West Australian governments are set to ignore a United Nations committee's recommendation to review mandatory sentencing laws in a bid to cut the rising Indigenous incarceration rate.

The UN's committee against torture was concerned at reports mandatory sentencing disproportionately affected Indigenous Australians who make up 30 per cent of the nation's prison population.

The committee recommended reviewing the laws "with a view to abolishing them".

Human rights and legal advocates were particularly concerned about mandatory sentencing laws in WA and the Northern Territory for offences such as assault and domestic violence.

NT's acting Attorney-General and Minister for Correctional Services, Willem Westra van Holthe, said he would not be apologising for "looking after the interests of all Territorians".

"The NT Government will not be reviewing our mandatory sentencing laws," he said.

"While the UN report focuses on the over-representation of Indigenous offenders, it fails to give adequate weight to the over-representation of Indigenous victims in the Northern Territory."

He said the Government would continue to focus on programs that provided inmates with trade skills that helped them find jobs after leaving jail.

WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin said he regretted the over-representation of Indigenous people in the prison population but stood by the state's stance on mandatory sentencing.

"The Government has committed to, and proposes to proceed with, legislation that will set minimum terms of imprisonment for those who commit serious offences - such as sexual assault and bodily harm - in the course of home invasions and which by any standard of justice should be punished by terms of imprisonment," Mr Mischin said.

He said the Government would pursue a number of strategies and was open to constructive strategies.

Mandatory sentencing 'doesn't break the cycle'

Meanwhile, the Federal Opposition said the UN committee was right to be "seriously concerned" about mandatory sentencing laws.

Labor's Indigenous affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann said the UN's recommendation came in the wake of major reports from the Productivity Commission and the Social Justice Commissioner that mentioned Indigenous incarceration within the past fortnight.

"All talk about mandatory sentencing having a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Mr Neumann said.

"It doesn't break the cycle of offending. I think the UN is right to express its serious concerns."

A Productivity Commission report on Indigenous wellbeing released last month showed there had been an alarming jump in the number of Indigenous people being jailed.

The commission found juvenile detention rates increased dramatically between 2000-01 and 2007-08, and "fluctuated since at around 24 times the rate for non-Indigenous youth".

The adult imprisonment rate rose 57 per cent between 2000 and 2013.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said he "absolutely agreed" with the committee's verdict on Australia's record.

"Australia now has an obligation to go back within 12 months to address the issues that are raised in this report," Mr Gooda said.

The commissioner said the Federal Government had a significant role to play in tackling mandatory sentencing laws despite the fact it did not control state and territory criminal justice systems.

"The Commonwealth is a signatory to these conventions so it has a role to play and it has to use its influence with the state governments," Mr Gooda said.

Mr Neumann urged the Government to provide more support to the health, education and family support sectors.

"There's a whole range of steps the Commonwealth can undertake and the Abbott Government is not doing it," Mr Neumann said.

The ABC has contacted Federal Attorney-General George Brandis for comment on the committee's findings.

Judges need 'necessary discretion'

North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency's Priscilla Collins said mandatory sentencing laws were a major factor in Indigenous Australians making up nearly a third of Australia's prison population.

She welcomed the UN committee's recommendations.

"This is a significant thing for us because when we continue to lobby our Government, it falls on deaf ears," Ms Collins said.

"When you have international people saying this, it's highlighted from the highest levels that this is an issue and that they should be abolishing it because this is bad."

The UN committee recommended Australia give judges "the necessary discretion to determine relevant individual circumstances".

The committee said Australia should also guarantee free legal services to Indigenous Australians when deprived of their liberty.

Australia is a signatory to the Convention Against Torture and has a responsibility to report to the committee on Indigenous incarceration rates as well as a number of other issues.