"The international community should deliver timely and substantial assistance to help Africa make the best use of its own resources... to support efforts of African countries to gain a meaningful foothold in the global market place," the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) declaration said.

The declaration also expressed "regret" over the failure of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks in Cancun, Mexico on September 14.

"We have noted with regret that there was little or no progress in advancing the Doha Development Agenda at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun," the statement said.

The Doha development agenda, launched in November 2001, was supposed to establish a more equitable approach to international trade for developing and least-developed countries by the end of 2004.

But the WTO talks fell apart with no pact due to bitter disagreements between rich and poor nations with agricultural trade a key sticking point.

"The creation of the equitable international trade system remains as a major challenge to African development," the declaration said.

Africa should "claim the 21st century" by "fully employing its abundant natural and human resources and enjoying the benefits of trade... through integrating Africa into the global economy," it said.

The Tokyo development conference, which drew nearly 50 African nations including 23 heads of state or government, discussed ways to promote peace, economic growth and better health care system.

"Conflict is a serious obstacle to African development... the consolidation of peace process still requires broad support from the international community," the declaration said.

The situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone were discussed during the conference.

Sierra Leone was ravaged by a civil war from 1991 to 2001 that left 200,000 dead and many thousands mutilated, while in Liberia rebels and the government reached a peace deal in August, bringing an end to 14 years of nearly continuous war.

The declaration also said international support was vital to mitigating health and poverty problems in Africa.

"The peoples of Africa still face serious problems such as poverty, hunger, infectious disease including the HIV/AIDS epidemic," it said.

While Africa accounts for just 10 per cent of the global population, 70 per cent of all AIDS cases worldwide appear in Africa, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.

TICAD is a Japanese initiative started in 1993 to raise international support for African development issues and has been held every five years.