The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organized a panel discussion on “Regional Cooperation in Disaster Risk Financial Sharing” in the framework of the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development (RFSD) 2025 for the UNECE region, at the UN Office in Geneva.
The event, organized with the support of RCC participants, Greece, Romania and Turkey, brought together policymakers, financial sector representatives and disaster risk management experts to address the urgent need for stronger disaster risk insurance and financial distribution mechanisms in South Eastern Europe (SEE), in the framework of the SEE2030 Strategy.
“In a region increasingly vulnerable to the devastating effects of natural disasters, financial risk sharing is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity. Regional cooperation is key to building financial resilience to disasters. Pooling resources and sharing risk across borders can reduce the burden on economies and ensure faster and more effective responses to natural disasters and climate-related shocks. With less than 12% of households in the Western Balkans covered by disaster insurance and with economic losses reaching billions, we cannot rely solely on government compensation schemes after disasters. Through the SEE Regional Network for Disaster Risk Insurance and Sharing, we are taking a bold and collective step towards resilience – creating a platform where governments, regulators and the insurance sector work together to make disaster insurance accessible, affordable and effective for all,” said Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General of the RCC.
The RCC has recently established the South East Europe Regional Network for Disaster Risk Insurance and Sharing, a collaboration platform involving regulatory authorities and associations from 13 SEE economies.
The network aims to bridge the large gap in disaster insurance coverage in the region by facilitating policy dialogue, sharing expertise, and promoting concrete joint initiatives to improve human security and resilience.
During his stay in Geneva, RCC Secretary-General Kapetanović also participated in the UNECE 2025 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development and met with Ms. Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The two officials discussed the importance of strengthening resilience, economic sustainability, and regional cooperation in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans to advance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the region.
Later in the day, RCC Deputy Secretary General Arslan Umut Ergezer participated in the roundtable on regional priorities for more diversified and sustainable financing for appropriate development, speaking on sustainable insurance, insurance schemes and disaster risk insurance. (A2 Televizion)
