United Nations — Diplomats here are warning of possible setbacks to U.N.-led development initiatives in Africa if the rich donor countries do not change their ways on international aid and trade.

"Most African countries are ready to accelerate economic and social reforms, however, they lack resources and means," Benin's representative Jean-Marie Ehouzou told a U.N. General Assembly meeting Wednesday.

Speaking on behalf of the African nations, Ehouzou criticised the developed countries for their refusal to do away with subsidies to their agricultural sectors and their failure to honour commitments on development funding.

"(They) are reluctant to take necessary measures and lack the political courage to act appropriately," Ehouzou added in a comment on U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's annual report on the work of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

NEPAD, a U.N.-backed -- but homegrown -- African strategy for development that pledges better governance in return for increased support from international donors, was first launched in 2001.

Its primary objectives are to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy, and accelerate the empowerment of women.

To accomplish this, NEPAD seeks to attract increased investment, capital flows and funding, providing an African-owned framework for development as the foundation for partnerships at regional and international levels.

This strategy has come under fire from some African civil society groups, who argue that NEPAD is based on the premise that investment from the North is essential to the development of Africa, and resent that little popular consultation was undertaken in the programme's formulation.

In discussing Ban's report on NEPAD, a number of non-African diplomats fully endorsed Ehouzou's criticism of the developed countries' policies.

"It is regrettable," said Pakistan's ambassador, Munir Akram. "African countries will be unable to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) if funding remains at its current level."

Addressing the delegates on behalf of the Group of 77, a 130-member political bloc of developing nations, and China, Akram stressed there was need for more resources to be mobilised for the African countries to achieve the MDGs and fully implement the NEPAD programmes.

The MDGs include a 50-percent reduction in extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; reduction of child mortality by two-thirds; cutbacks in maternal mortality by three-quarters; the promotion of gender equality; and the reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other deadly diseases, all by 2015.

Recent U.N. reports and NEPAD representatives acknowledge that most countries in sub-Saharan Africa are unlikely to achieve the MDGs, mainly due to lack of funding from the international donors.

"This status quo is unconscionable, for Africa and for the world," Ban said, adding that changing the status quo in Africa required a strengthened global partnership.

"It demands shared responsibility," he told delegates. "It demands the implementation of all existing commitments. We know that peace, development and human rights go hand-in-hand."

Bringing together some major multilateral and intergovernmental development organisations, Ban recently formed a new body called the Africa Steering Group. He hopes that the group would "galvanise" global action to achieve the MDGs "in full, on time and across Africa."

Development experts within the region say NEPAD should be more closely linked to all the U.N. bodies and have welcomed Ban's initiative.

"I am happy to be part of this global, multilateral body," NEPAD's chief executive Firmino Mucavele told reporters Thursday, noting that the linkage would allow his secretariat to "learn from the U.N." on African development.

"We do not want to lose what we have already," he said in response to a question about the U.N. chief's plans to merge the office of his special advisor on Africa with the office of the high representative for least developed, landlocked, and small island developing countries.

"What do we want from the U.N.?" he asked. "We want permanent linkages with all its bodies." According to Mucavele, NEPAD has made significant progress in implementing its programme in the areas of infrastructure, energy, education, science, and technology.

"A lot has been done," he added, "But a lot has yet to be done." The recent NEPAD initiatives also include the creation of the Pan African Fund for infrastructure development, capitalised at 625 million dollars from the South African, Ghanian and Nigerian Fund, an innovative move to raise money from internal resources.

"We have to start with our own money. Nobody is choosing for us. We have to choose for ourselves," he said. "We are trying to make NEPAD a social, economic and political body."

In evaluating the progress made by NEPAD, Ban noted that in recent years, conflicts in a number of African countries have come to an end, signaling a more conducive atmosphere for development initiatives.

The U.N. chief called for the world community to help consolidate the positive changes in Africa through a "stronger and more coherent" U.N. support, including in the area of governance and capacity-building.

"We must ensure that the U.N. plays its role in the fullest extent possible along the peace continuum -- from conflict prevention to peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building," Ban added in a statement.

For their part, representatives of the developed countries gave no sign that they would change their existing policy of trade protectionism. However, both Japan and Canada reiterated their promises to double the flow of development aid for Africa in coming years.