President Jacob Zuma says Africa continues to lag behind in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Zuma said this was despite the continent's move to adopt the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
Zuma however acknowledged that South Africa had made significant progress in achieving the Millenium Development Goals.
This included halving the number of people earning less than a dollar a day, while the number of people who go hungry have also been halved.
President Zuma said that South Africa had also achieved its Millenium Development Goal of ensuring that there is access to primary education for all.
"On official international indicators, South Africa is doing well on MDG3, [which is] to promote and empower women," he said.
"South Africa has recorded impressive progress through the expansion of health infrastructure and improved access to health services for all South Africans. "On the reduction of child mortality, MDG4, and the improvement of maternal health, MDG5, significant progress has been recorded, but more work remains," he said.
He said both the developing and developed nations had to continue working on fully achieving these goals.
"We have to confront those underlying root causes that continue to make it impossible for our people to have a better life," Zuma said.
Turning to other issues, President Zuma said the UN appeared to be helpless in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
"Of concern in this matter has been the helplessness displayed by the UN, especially the UN Security Council, during the current conflict," Zuma said.
"While the UN has done remarkably well in the supporting self-determination, when it celebrates 70 years of existence next year, this august body may be found wanting by the people of
Palestine."
He reminded the UN that it had the moral authority to unite the world, promote peace, justice and self-determination. "This august body must play this role without fear or favour and
be a beacon for all who suffer oppression in the world," he said, adding that South Africa was calling on Israel and Hamas to instigate an immediate end to the violence.
"Our strongly held view is that there can be no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian question," President Zuma said.
