UN urges investment in young people

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations (UN) marked World Population Day by calling for investment in young people, who now number 1.8 billion around the world and is the largest generation of youth in history.

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 for these issues.

This year, the UN called for a renewed commitment to helping young people improve their lives and the common future.

According to UN figures, half the world is under 25 years of age and nearly 90 percent of them are in developing countries.

However, half of those employed from the group are, in the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “stuck in low-wage, dead-end jobs.”

“Action is urgently needed,” Ban said in his message for World Population Day, stressing that too many young people are denied a right to a quality education, a decent job and participation in the political life of their societies.

He also expressed particular concern about adolescent girls who may face discrimination, sexual violence, early marriage and unwanted pregnancies.

The solution, he said, lies in investment in health, education, training and employment for young people as they undergo the critical transition to adulthood.

“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,” the UN chief added. “By empowering today’s youth, we will lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future for generations to come.”

Ban noted that more than 1,000 youth organizations endorsed a Global Youth Call to recommend youth-focused goals and targets in the sustainable development agenda that will start after 2015, the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals.