David Cameron has called on the "whole of the world" to tackle the "incredibly difficult" problem of Somalia but admitted that people needed to be "realistic" about what could be achieved.
The prime minister was talking a few days ahead of the London Somali Conference on Thursday where representatives from more than 50 governments and international organisations, including US secretary of state Hilary Clinton, will gather to discuss how to tackle "piracy, terrorism, conflict, poverty and famine" in the east African country.
Speaking with representatives from Somalian community groups, Cameron said he had "great expectations" about Thursday's conference but stressed the importance of being "realistic" about how much progress could be made in one day.
"The strategy is to try to get the whole of the world to get behind the efforts the Somali people themselves are making to build a stronger, safer, more prosperous country," the prime minister said, adding: "I just feel passionately that this is a country that has had such terrible drought, famine and war that we really ought to, over the world, be doing more to try to help.
"Let me absolutely stress this is not the West having a conference on Somalia and telling the Somalis what to do, it is actually just recognising there is a huge amount of effort going on in Somalia to help rebuild the country away from the conference and actually, what the world needs to do is help that take place and to grow. That's what really lies behind this conference.
"I think we have to be realistic. It's an incredibly difficult situation.
"I have got great expectations and great hopes for what I think we can achieve in lots of different areas but I think we have to be realistic about what we can do in one conference."
Mr Cameron added: "In the end, it's about giving everyone in Somalia, particularly young people, some hope of a job and a voice and a future."
UN Security Council experts are discussing a strategy that would see the African Union force in Somalia extended from 12,000 to about 17,700 troops.
It is hoped a draft resolution aimed at breaking up the "business model" used by pirates in Somalia could be adopted on Wednesday.
Earlier this month William Hague became the first British Foreign Secretary in 20 years to visit Somalia, warning that more action was needed to tackle the terrorist threat from the troubled country.