CGAP is an independent policy and research center dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor. It is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP provides market intelligence, promotes standards, develops innovative solutions and offers advisory services to governments, microfinance providers, donors, and investors.
FinMark Trust was established in March 2002 with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). FinMark Trust is an independent trust whose business is controlled by five trustees from countries in Southern Africa. Its mission is to make financial markets work for the poor in Africa. It does this by conducting research to identify the systemic constraints that prevent financial markets from reaching out to poor consumers and by advocating for change on the basis of research findings. Thus, FinMark Trust has a catalytic role, driven by its mission to start processes of change that ultimately lead to the development of accessible financial systems that can benefit poor consumers.
Founded in 1961, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) understands German development Policy as global structural and peace policy that aims at resolving crises and conflicts in a peaceful manner, ensuring that scarce resources are more equitably shared, and that our environment is preserved for coming generations and at reducing global poverty.The BMZ draws up the German government’s development policy guidelines and fundamental concepts. It lays down the long-term development cooperation strategies and defines the rules by which they are put into practice. The BMZ cooperates at international level and with non-governmental organizations and is guided by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The BMZ commissions the German implementing organizations with executing country projects, and monitors the results of their work.
GTZ is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes, often working under difficult conditions. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.
GTZ combines its knowledge and experience from various departments (financial systems development, social protection, climate change) to promote microinsurance worldwide. Together with private sector companies GTZ develops and pilot tests microinsurance products in Indonesia, India and China. The products offered include credit life, life and health insurance as well as index based insurance products to cover weather risks.
BMZ assigned GTZ to host the Secretariat of the Access to Insurance Initiative.
Recognizing that policymakers, regulators and supervisors give weight to following standards and precedents from international standard setters, the participation of the IAIS in the Initaitive is particularly important. A close collaboration between international development agencies and insurance supervisors through the IAIS is both essential and valuable to ensure that the regulatory and supervisory frameworks are consistent with international standards. The IAIS is a founding sponsor of the Initiative.
