The fourth ASEAN+3 Task Force (TF) Meeting was held on 20 September 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. At the request of Japan Ministry of Finance (JMOF), Mr. Yoshihiro Kawai, Board Chair of the SEADRIF Insurance Company (SDI), also represented the broader SEADRIF Initiative.
Mr. Kawai shared updates on SEADRIF and reported on the progress of public asset financial protection and future products in SDI. He emphasized that SEADRIF’s primary objective is not only to provide insurance but also to assist governments in building resilience against disasters. SEADRIF stands as a testament to the collaborative agreement and initiative of ASEAN+3 government leaders. Mr. Kawai encouraged member countries to reach out and maximize SEADRIF's potential, ensuring preparedness against disasters, the protection of vulnerable populations and society, and the bolstering of government and economy stability.
The fourth TF meeting continued the discussion from the third TF meeting on the implementation framework of the Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) Initiative. The World Bank team presented a preliminary idea on the Terms of Reference of the Secretariat for the DRF Initiative. Furthermore, Professor Pan Tso-Chien from Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management (ICRM) shared the progress report of the ASEAN Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Phase 2 (ADRFI-2) Initiative.
The fifth TF meeting will take place in Indonesia on 25-26 October 2023. During this meeting, the team will continue discussions on Policy Dialogue and the implementation of the DRF Initiative. Additionally, the working team will report on the progress made in financial, knowledge, and technical solutions, including e-learning for public assets financial protection for the ASEAN+3 context. Stay tuned for more updates.