Uruguay's strong commitment to social protection, inclusive social policies and the hight level of old age pension coverage (around 90% of the population over 65 years old) has resulted in a significant poverty reduction.

However, the advanced stage of demographic transition is putting pressure through increasing fiscal costs. In fact, in pursuit of financial sustainability, a new retirement and pension system has recently been approved. 

The country has made significant progress with the creation of the Integrated National Care System as the fourth pillar of social protection. Investing in nationally appropriate social protection with specific focus on the most vulnerable and recognizing the value of unpaid care and domestic work through social protection policies could lead not just to maintain the low levels of poverty but also help close the gaps on several other indicators, such as labour force participation, productivity rates and child development.

Despite being recognized worldwide for its strong democracy and solid institutions, achieving gender equality and ensuring women's full and effective participation at all levels of decision-making still poses significant challenges in Uruguay. At the political level, only one out of five seats in Parliament are occupied by women and their participation in the highest executive positions of government at the national and departmental levels continues to be marginal. Women are also underrepresented in other decision-making spheres, such as public and private companies, cooperatives, unions and academia. 

In response to this challenge, two bills proposing parity in the composition of lists for national elections and other political representation spaces are currently under parliamentary discussion.

In order to achieve equitable participation between genders in decision-making spaces (Target 5.5), it is also essential to advance towards structural transformations in the way gender relations and dynamics are conceived. In addition to its implications from a human rights perspective, this will have a broad impact in terms of sustainable human development due to its beneficial effects on women's participation in the labour market, on productivity levels and on poverty reduction (Target 1.3).

Uruguay promotes the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into development planning. The National Emergency System, in charge of disaster risk planning and management, is part of the National Climate Change Response System, which guarantees the articulation between both issues. 

A key tool to strengthen resilience to risks arising from climate change and natural disasters is the Relocation Plan, which has managed more than 60 working agreements with local governments, allowing the relocation of people in flood-prone areas and the rehabilitation of these lands for public use. In addition, the country approved the National Climate Change Plan, the National Policy on Comprehensive Emergency and Disaster Risk Management for the period 2019-2030, three National Climate Adaptation Plans (cities and infrastructure; coastal zone; and agricultural sector), the Long-Term Climate Strategy and two Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These documents contain implemented or ongoing actions and targets that contribute to reducing the country's vulnerability to the impacts of climate variability and climate change, to building adaptive capacity and resilience, and to facilitating the integration of climate change adaptation into the development process.

Addressing climate change will require making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. Uruguay has made significant advances in that regard, by the issuance of a sovereign sustainability linked bond indexed to climate change and nature indicators that are aligned with the targets set by the country’s NDC. The development of innovative mechanisms and the alignment of financial flows of the financial sector with climate and sustainable development objectives will accelerate the transition to a more climate-resilient future.