Disaster Risk Finance at the Spring Meetings 2026: Upcoming Events
The World Bank Group's Crisis and Disaster Risk Finance team is pleased to share details of two events from the upcoming 2026 Spring Meetings to be held in Washington, D.C from April 13-18, 2026. These events will explore how risk financing and insurance instruments can strengthen resilience and support economic recovery in climate-vulnerable economies. Both events will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and development partners for high-level discussion and knowledge exchange.
Knowledge Café: Unleashing Private Capital for Disaster Recovery and Jobs Protection
Wednesday 15th April, 17:15 – 18:00 │ World Bank Group MC Atrium
The objective of the knowledge café is: (i) To share practical insights on how to implement effective risk‑layered disaster financing strategies that integrate insurance and capital market instruments. (ii) To discuss the regulatory, market, and institutional reforms, as well as public‑private partnership models, necessary to ensure the sustainability of these instruments. (iii) To identify opportunities to scale up private capital to support economic recovery and jobs protection in vulnerable emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).
Managing Risks in an age of Uncertainty: Insurance, Resilience, & Development
Thursday 16th April, 9:00am-12:00 pm │ IFC, Room F - L – 101
The Insurance Development Forum (IDF), in partnership with the World Bank Group will convene a high-level event that will bring together senior policymakers, industry leaders, development partners, and experts to examine the critical role of insurance and risk financing in strengthening resilience across emerging markets and developing economies. This event will explore how insurance can help protect livelihoods, reduce fiscal pressure, and accelerate recovery, while supporting long-term development and resilience objectives.
Speakers include: Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health); Michel Liès (Chairman, IDF Steering Committee & Zurich Insurance Group); Tsutomu Yamamoto (Managing Director, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group & Co-Chair, Steering Committee, IDF); Dr. Kevin Greenidge (Governor, Central Bank, Barbados); Toshiyuki Miyoshi (Chair, International Association of Insurance Supervisors [IAIS] Executive Committee, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Financial Services Agency of Japan); Phil Stevens (Director for International Finance, FCDO).
Please RSVP to attend in person by April 14 to: Jennifer Akinyi (Jasego@worldbank.org) and Eduarda Fontes (efontes@insdevforum.org)