New York - World leaders on Monday promised a renewed effort to lift Africa out of poverty and into the "mainstream of the global economy," after a one-day United Nations conference taking stock of the continent's progress.

The new pledge came as African leaders and UN officials called for a boost in foreign development aid, even as a financial crisis in advanced economies left some concerned that aid commitments from wealthy nations might be drying up.

"Eradicating poverty, particularly in Africa, is the greatest global challenge facing the world today," read a declaration that was passed by the UN General Assembly Monday evening.

More than 40 world leaders took part in the UN conference Monday in New York, one day before heads of state begin the speeches that mark the annual opening of a new General Assembly.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier warned that not one African country was on target to meet all of the UN's Millenium Development Goals, a series of poverty-reducing targets, which were adopted in 2000 and were to be met by 2015.

Monday's seven-page declaration underlined the "urgency" of meeting Africa's challenges and promised fresh resolve on everything from tackling regional conflicts and disease to addressing food shortages, improving infrastructure and combatting the effects of global warming.

"Now comes the hard part - keeping the promises," said Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, the General Assembly's new president.

African leaders recognized the role of "good governance" in meeting those challenges but said that ending poverty would require the help of the entire global community.

Developed countries are falling well short of a 2005 pledge to double foreign aid, the declaration said. (dpa)