New York  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday called for "broader and stronger" action to stop the political, social and economic deterioration in Zimbabwe as it prepares for run-off elections.

The meeting at UN headquarters, attended by diplomats, many of them Africans, and UN officials, was aimed at helping the UN formulate measures to deal with the crisis in the build up to the June 27 vote.

"Clearly we have reached the point where broader, stronger international efforts are needed," Rice told the meeting.

She said a call has been forwarded to 14 former African presidents, Nobel Peace Prize laureates and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to impress on Zimbabwe to hold free and fair elections.

She called on the southern African development cooperation group, headed by South African President Thabo Mbeki, to urge President Robert Mugabe to stop the violence in his country immediately and allow the resumption of humanitarian assistance to the needy.

Mugabe should allow the runoff elections to proceed freely and fairly and abide by the results peacefully, Rice said.

Rice criticized Mugabe for squandering his country's resources, once an economic jewel of southern Africa. She charged that Mugabe has led "Zimbabwe not only into a failed state that threatens the lives of Zimbabweans, but also the security and wellbeing of all southern Africa."

"We need to act now, if Zimbabwe could make the transition to democracy, so much would be possible for its people," she said, adding that the international community will have a role to play. (dpa)