The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) unveiled a forward-looking Strategy to 2030 and a refreshed brand identity at its 10th anniversary Summit in London last week, under the theme “Celebrating 10 Years – Imagine the possible.” The event brought together senior officials and experts from the insurance and development sectors.
The Summit opened with a keynote address by Costa Rica’s minister of finance, Hon. Nogui Acosta Jaén, and was marked by the announcement of a new strategic direction, focusing on broader risk categories and expanding partnerships.
Founded in 2015 as a public-private partnership between the insurance industry, the United Nations, and the World Bank Group, the IDF has grown into a global platform enabling public-sector access to insurance expertise. Over the past decade, it has led collaborative programmes across more than 25 countries, drawing on a network of over 400 specialists spanning government, industry, academia, and development institutions.
While the organisation’s original vision and mission remain intact, the new strategy introduces a wider scope of activity. This includes addressing risks such as health, providing resilience and risk engineering services, and tackling systemic issues such as maintaining insurability in a changing global environment. The strategy aims to adapt to current challenges while supporting nations in building long-term economic stability and disaster preparedness.
A key feature of the 2030 plan is the IDF’s emphasis on implementation, engagement, and advocacy. A new partnership with the Bridgetown Initiative - focused on reforming global finance for vulnerable nations - was also announced as part of the strategy’s rollout.
“Our Strategy to 2030 is a call to action to integrate insurance capabilities more deeply across public policy and finance to help countries not just survive disaster, but to thrive in spite of it,” said Michel Liès, chair of the IDF Steering Committee and chairman of Zurich Insurance Group.
Hiroshi Matano, co-chair of the IDF Steering Committee and executive vice president at MIGA (World Bank Group), underscored the importance of practical collaboration. “In economies vulnerable to disasters, insurance can contribute to connecting governments to the tools and capital they need to protect jobs, invest, grow and plan for the future,” he said.
Thomas Beloe, director of the UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, praised the IDF’s progress: “At its 10-year milestone, the IDF has delivered bold, practical action while working to build resilience in the countries that need it most.”
Accompanying the new strategy is a refreshed visual identity and communication style. The brand update centres on the phrase “Let’s build future-ready nations”, aiming to convey a clear and unified purpose among IDF members—to develop insurance markets that protect lives, assets, and economic futures in disaster-prone regions.
The IDF will begin releasing new digital materials and a redesigned website in the coming weeks as part of its brand transition.
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