Plenary 5: Country risk management and financial preparedness for disasters

Chaired and supported by Swiss Re

The public sector is increasingly attracted to integrative risk management. Given the inter-connectedness of risks and the broad diffusion of the economic, financial, social and political effects of natural and man-made disasters, the focal point is shifting from disaster risk reduction, focused on particular sectors, to comprehensive, country-level risk management. While prevention must be the first priority, governments are increasingly concerned about the costs involved and have started to take a closer look at new ways of funding risk-reduction measures. This session will discuss good practice in establishing country risk management practices and how to limit the impact of disasters on national economic growth. The plenary speakers each represent a country or region that has taken a leading role in rethinking risk management and the financing of measures. They will respond to the following questions: What are the most novel and innovative approaches? What motivates governments to shift the paradigm towards all-hazards risk management and towards innovative insurance solutions to the financing of measures? What has triggered fundamental changes and what are the expected benefits? How much progress has been made so far? What are key challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome? What lessons from the paradigm shift have been learned for other countries to follow?

SESSION CHAIR:

Martyn PARKER, Chairman, Global Partnerships, Swiss Re, Zurich, Switzerland

PANELLISTS:

Honorary Minister Mohamed Najib BOULIF, Minister  of  General  Affairs and Governance, Government of Morocco, Rabat, Morocco

Stéphane JACOBZONE, Counsellor, Public Governance and Territorial Development, OECD Secretariat, Paris, France

Dario LUNA, Ministry of Finance, Government of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

Reto Schnarwiler, Managing Director Global Partnerships, Swiss Re, Zurich, Switzerland