Top United Nations officials on Monday called for the inclusion of population issues in the post-2015 global development, in order to address new challenges faced by the people and to improve their lives.

They made the appeal at the opening meeting of the 47th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, which lasts till Friday. This year's session will focus on the progress and challenges since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said with the ICPD Program of Action, governments set out an ambitious agenda to deliver inclusive, equitable and sustainable development.

"Over the past two decades, this agenda has contributed to significant advances," Ban said in a message to the Commission delivered by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson.

"Fewer people are living in extreme poverty. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are gaining ground worldwide. More people are living longer, healthier lives. More girls are in school. Fewer women are dying in pregnancy and childbirth. There are more laws to protect and uphold human rights," he said.

Yet, in the midst of this human progress, the continued exclusion of some groups and the potential for serious environmental damage put these gains at risk, Ban said. "Moreover, changing age, household and family structures as well as rapid urbanization and migration pose new challenges for human development."

The UN chief said that the international community has an urgent responsibility to invest in creating opportunities and a supportive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship for persons of all ages, "in particular for young people."

"As we work to define a new inclusive, sustainable development framework beyond 2015, I am confident that the ICPD agenda grounded in principles of equality and rights will continue to guide and enrich our efforts," Ban added.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo said, "People are at the heart of sustainable development." "We need to address population issues urgently, as few factors will shape the global development agenda as fundamentally as the size, structure and spatial distribution of the world's population. "

For his part, President of UN General Assembly John Ashe said that persistent gaps and barriers have continued to delay the IPCD objectives of achieving dignity and well-being for all.

In remarks delivered by his Chef de Cabinet Paulette Bethel, the UNGA president highlighted several key lessons from the reports that are before the Commission's current session, including the need to continue to work towards the elimination of discrimination and marginalization to ensure that all people, men and women, young and old can unleash their full potential.

"With the collective wisdom and support of member states, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations, we can fully integrate existing and emerging population challenges into the post-2015 UN development agenda," Ashe said.