Australian PM joins King, Commonwealth leaders in Samoa

Commonwealth leaders will meet in Samoa with the environment, ocean health and economic development on the cards.

Although, it's been branded a talkfest set to focus on networking and alliance building over concrete policies despite Pacific nations susceptible to climate change continuing to push leaders to phase out fossil fuels.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join King Charles and Queen Camilla, who will preside over their first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting since taking the throne and directly following a royal tour of Australia.

The meetings "aren't transformational" but the Pacific would be looking to build on connections to other regions and draw attention to the existential threat of rising sea levels, Pacific expert Meg Keen said.

"That's not trivial, there's 56 countries - about a third of the world's population - there are not only leaders, there are key decision makers and, of course, there's media," Dr Keen told AAP.

Pacific nations would be looking to raise concerns before the COP environment conference in November and gather support for an International Court of Justice case on obligations states regarding climate change, she said.

Professor Jioji Ravulo, who specialises in Pacific communities, also framed climate as the main issue but said it was important Australia used its diplomatic clout to elevation regional voices.

Issues of gender equality, poverty and economic development "all come back to a common denominator, which is climate change", he said.

Mr Albanese said Australia "values the significant role Samoa plays in our region and the close partnership between our two countries" as he makes his first trip to the Pacific nation as leader.

While Canberra had a pivotal role in these conversations as a major regional voice, it should not use its weight to impose on Pacific partners and only operate "within the terms of what Australia wants", Prof Ravulo said.

"It's not a shared relationship, it's one where Australia continues to create expectations," he said, pointing to reports an NRL team agreement with Papua New Guinea would preclude Chinese security forces in the Pacific nation.

Samoan leader Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is calling for an ocean declaration that would focus on governance of the seas and the impacts rising sea levels and temperatures have on coastal communities and livelihoods, Dr Keen said.

Poorer nations will be looking for larger partners to help economically and Australia is the primary maritime partner for most of the region, she said.