Top UN officials on Friday called for a renewed commitment to helping the 1.8 billion young people around the world improve their lives and the common future.

The world today has its largest generation of youth in history, mostly in developing countries, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day, stressing that too many young people lack resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty.

Too many are denied their rightful opportunities to get a quality education, find decent work, and participate in the political life of their societies, said Ban, who expressed particular concern about adolescent girls who may face discrimination, sexual violence, early marriage and unwanted pregnancies.

"Action is urgently needed," the UN chief underscored. "The solution lies in investment in health, education, training and employment for young people as they undergo the critical transition to adulthood."

According to UN figures, half the world is under 25 years of age, with nearly 90 percent of them in developing countries. However, half of those employed from the group are either unemployed or in Ban's words, "stuck in low-wage, dead-end jobs."

"I call on all with influence to prioritize youth in development plans, strengthen partnerships with youth-led organizations, and involve young people in all decisions that affect them," he said. "By empowering today's youth, we will lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future for generations to come."

In his message, UN General Assembly President John Ashe called on the member states and other stakeholders to invest in this generation of young people who are at the center of the new post- 2015 development agenda.

"Let us remember that only by partnering with young people can we make the planet more resilient and our future more prosperous," he said.

Observed annually on July 11, World Population Day focuses attention on the importance of population issues in the context of development plans and programs, and the need to find solutions to these issues.

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