JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Viet Nam Joins the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility
Photo credit: United Nations in Viet Nam
HANOI, 10 February, 2022 – The Ministry of Finance, acting under the authority from the Government of Viet Nam, today signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to become the eighth member of the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF) 1 . The facility is a regional platform for countries in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and Korea (ASEAN + 3) to work together to strengthen financial resilience against climate and disaster risks in ASEAN. By joining SEADRIF, Viet Nam will have access to regional and international technical and financial solutions to increase financial protection for the country and its population in the face of disaster and climate shocks.
“The Government of Viet Nam recognized the growing challenge from disaster and climate risks on the country’s socio-economic development. Strengthening financial preparedness for disaster response and recovery has been among the Government’s priorities in safeguarding the country’s development gains and the well-being of our people. Participating in regional and international cooperation mechanisms such as SEADRIF will help Viet Nam strengthen its capacity and ability to respond to disaster impacts with new financial instruments. At the same time, Viet Nam will play its role as an active and responsible member, together with ASEAN+3 members and development partners, in joint efforts to respond to global and regional disaster risks”, said Nguyen Duc Chi, Vice Minister of Finance of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, representative of Viet Nam in the SEADRIF Council of Members.
SEADRIF - the first of its kind in Asia - was established in December 2018 with support from the World Bank and endorsement by the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. As a SEADRIF member, Viet Nam will be able to jointly design and develop, together with other countries, products and services that address the country’s challenge in disaster risk financing.
“We welcome the addition of Viet Nam as the eighth member of SEADRIF at a critical time when all SEADRIF member countries are stepping up financial preparedness measures to manage the impact of increasing climate and disaster risks. We look forward to working closely with Viet Nam as it responds to these risks by utilizing the suite of services and products provided by SEADRIF and plays its part in building a more resilient ASEAN region”, said Masato Kanda, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan Ministry of Finance, as the Co-Chair of the SEADRIF Council of Members.
The SEADRIF membership allows member countries to receive technical support in the areas of protection of government budget, financial protection of public assets, risk modeling and risk management, local insurance markets development, technology and financial product innovation. Viet Nam can also leverage SEADRIF to access international financial markets with greater economy of scale thanks to risk pooling with other member countries and potential financial support from development partners.
“The World Bank, together with development partners, has been providing technical, financial and convening support to Viet Nam to build the country’s capacity to manage the impacts of climate and disaster shocks. Viet Nam’s accession into SEADRIF is an important step to improve the country’s fiscal and financial resilience against disaster and climate risk, which is becoming more important than ever as the country is heading towards a post-COVID-19 green and resilient recovery”, said Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam.
With a coastline of over 3,200 kilometers, Viet Nam is vulnerable to multiple natural hazards, most notably tropical cyclones, floods, droughts. These disasters have caused significant damage to communities and disrupted critical operations of the economy. The Government of Viet Nam has put in place a range of financial mechanisms for disaster response and recovery including budgetary, non-budgetary and market-based instruments. However, Viet Nam needs more effective tools, especially financial ones in order to cope with the increasing impacts of climate change.
About SEADRIF
SEADRIF is a regional platform that provides participating nations with advisory and financial services to increase preparedness, resilience and cooperation in response to climate and disaster risks. SEADRIF is established and owned by ASEAN+3 countries, with financial support from donor partners, technical support from the World Bank, and administrative support from the ASEAN Secretariat, in partnership with other regional and international institutions. Visit SEADRIF at seadrif.org
About The World Bank
The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.