Engagement and Advocacy
Driving awareness and policy change to expand the role of insurance in building future-ready nations.
The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) engages with a broad range of bodies and institutions to support its goals, and advocates for the use of insurance capabilities as a pillar of economic resilience.
In recent years, the IDF has deepened its engagement and advocacy with major international standard-setting bodies, critical international policy processes, political groupings, international organisations, and economic forums, on the central role of pre-arranged disaster risk financing—including insurance—in managing escalating climate and disaster shocks.
By sharing knowledge about insurance capabilities and solutions, contributing to discussions and publishing expert publications and thought leadership articles, IDF advocates for inclusion of insurance and pre-arranged disaster risk finance in global resilience agendas and policy documents that will shape the coming years. To amplify the role of insurance for development, social protection, growth, and macroeconomic stability. To drive resilience in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). To help build future-ready nations.
Insurance Development Forum at COP
IDF has attended COP conferences since 2019 to promote greater understanding and wider use of insurance solutions and capabilities to address climate impacts and strengthen resilience in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs).
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It has launched important initiatives during COP conferences. IDF representatives help drive calls to action and join panels to share knowledge and influence policy that helps close protection gaps.
IDF also engages governments, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and civil society to demonstrate how its work supports the implementation and scaling of risk analytics, risk reduction, and risk financing solutions in EMDEs.
In this effort it collaborates with members and partners such as BMZ, UNDP, the UK’s Centre for Disaster Protection, the Risk Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), among others. To help build future-ready nations.
Learn about our engagement at COP30 on our 2025 Annual Review.
G20
IDF contributes to globally relevant economic and development work and convenings to represent the relevance of insurance as an important pre-arranged disaster risk financing tool to address climate disaster risk and build resilience.
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The topic of addressing natural catastrophe protection gaps was identified as a priority under the South African G20 Presidency in 2025. As part of this effort, the IDF was invited to contribute to papers and participate in different G20 meetings, offering perspectives from the private sector.
The G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Ministerial Declaration reinforces prearranged financing as a central pillar of effective, equitable, and timely disaster response.
The Final G20 Leaders Communique also reflected similar focus, emphasising the increasing frequency, intensity, and geographic spread of climate-related disasters, and underscoring the need for stronger disaster preparedness and response.
Learn about our engagement with the G20 in 2025 on our 2025 Annual Review.
IDF-Bridgetown Initiative Strategic Partnership
The IDF-Bridgetown Partnership seeks to drive deeper integration of insurance into climate, development and resilience finance frameworks and to elevate insurance as a central enabler in the global response to climate and other natural disaster risks. With a view to leveraging the full capabilities and functions of the insurance industry in enhancing resilience for vulnerable nations.
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In a first publication, the IDF-Bridgetown Initiative partnership proposes concerted action through four leverage points to scale resilience impact, for action by EMDE Governments, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), insurers and regulators.
The public-private partnership aims to drive engagement and action to see the recommendations from the paper implemented.
Learn more in the IDF-Bridgetown Initiative Partnership report From Risk to Resilience – How Insurance can Mobilise Disaster Finance and Climate Investment in Vulnerable Economies
Insurability
With more than USD 180 billion in natural catastrophe losses going uninsured every year. This represents one of the world’s most urgent challenges: the widening divide between insured and uninsured losses from natural catastrophes, or the protection gap.
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Maintaining and expanding insurability is critical to the ability to close protection gaps. This requires coordinated action across governments, regulators, insurers and development partners.
The IDF advocates for action to make risks considered “uninsurable” now, insurable in the future and thereby enhance national and global resilience.
In 2025, the IDF issued the report “Increasing Insurability to Close Protection Gaps” offering over 50+ actionable recommendations, to multiple stakeholders. Developed by the Law, Regulation and Resilience Policies Working Group of the IDF, the paper aims to aid understanding of barriers to insurability and what it takes to make a risk insurable.
In March 2026, the IDF brought together leaders from across insurance, regulation, development finance and climate risk, for a broad and deep discussion on this topic as one of the most pressing global challenges.
IDF will continue its engagement and advocacy work for the ability to close protection gaps. To maintain and expand insurability. To help build future-ready nations.