The prime minister has warned it is "time to turn international attention into international action" in Africa.

The comments came as Tony Blair convened talks on measures to boost education, combat poverty, eradicate debt and tackle disease on the continent.

Attending a two-day meeting of his Commission for Africa in the Ethiopian capital, Blair is seeking to make progress on the deep rooted problems facing the continent.

"Next year is the year of decision for Africa and for us - to have the political will to confront the challenge of Africa and overcome it together," he said.

He went on to warn that by early next year "the time for excuses will be over".

The prime minister arrived in Addis Ababa on Wednesday night where he headed for talks with the premier Meles Zenawi.

Blair is chairing the commission meeting and hopes to put Africa centre stage during the UK's presidency of the G8 nations next year.

But he is being warned that the commission must listen to local voices and show real commitment to improving quality of life on the continent.

Lobbying

African governments, some of whom spend more on debt repayments than they do on health, will also lobby for a fresh round of debt reduction.

"Countries should not be forced to sign up to policies which they do not believe will work because a donor thinks they will be good for them," conceded Blair in his opening address.

While international aid to the region has increased over recent years, the continent is still scarred by war, drought and the mounting Aids and TB epidemics.

Meanwhile African countries have lost the equivalent of 50 pence for every pound received in aid because of the crash in the price of the basic commodities they produce.

African ministers are set to use the meeting to press western governments to ensure they do enough to achieve the millennium development goals.

On current trends most African nations will fail to meet the targets on universal education, poverty reduction and child mortality by the 2015 deadline.

Appeal

Church groups based in Africa are also calling for tougher action on issues such as corruption, the sale of arms in conflict zones and investment in disaster prevention in vulnerable areas.

"We recognise that Africa's destiny lies in African hands," says a declaration presented to the Africa Commission.

"Nevertheless we recognise that African problems are global problems and that action by other continents is necessary."

The UK government wants a renewed focus on measures to lift education standards and remove children from poverty.

Forty per cent of children in Africa never go to primary school and Ethiopia has one hospital for every 500,000 people.

Accompanied by international development secretary Hilary Benn, Blair is also likely to call on African governments to adopt regional best practice to combat the HIV/Aids pandemic.

Final report

The commission will draw up a final report next April although lobbying groups are demanding action rather than words from those assembled in Ethiopia.

Oxfam has urged the prime minister to press for reforms of the "unfair trade rules" which hold back African farmers.

Free trade campaigners say the developed world must scrap the $365 billion per day paid to "overproduce crops such as cotton and sugar".

Oxfam is also demanding that the rich nations of the world increase their aid budgets to 0.7 per cent of national income.

And it urged a move to 100 per cent debt cancellation.

Spectre of Sudan

Despite optimism about progress, the talks take place under the spectre of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

It follows a fresh appeal from Blair for the government of Sudan to do more to end the crisis in the Darfur region.

Beginning his trip on Wednesday, Blair called for the Khartoum administration to take responsibility for the starvation and homelessness ripping through tracts of the country.

"It's important that people in Darfur realise that the international community is determined to ensure that when we talk with the government of Sudan it realises it has to take on these responsibilities," he said.

"The rebel forces likewise recognise they have responsibilities in this situation and the international focus will not go away while this situation remains outstanding."