Marise Payne to attend UN leaders meeting

Newly minted Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne will continue her predecessor's fight for justice for Australian victims of MH17 at a meeting of world leaders in the US.

Ms Payne will attend the United Nation's General Assembly this week alongside leaders including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop gave her assurances Ms Payne would continue the fight for justice for the families of those who died when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.

The new minister has also named nuclear disarmament, Australia's commitment to the UN's international drug control regime, UN reform and advocacy against the death penalty as her top priorities.

Ms Payne will then travel to Washington to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for discussions over "shared economic and security interests".