The ASF Portugal joins IAIS cooperation and information exchange agreement

11-12-24 / Chris Smit

Basel - The Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority (ASF), Portugal, has become a member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU) – an international supervisory cooperation and information exchange agreement.

“We are pleased to welcome Portugal ASF as a signatory to the MMoU,” said Shigeru Ariizumi, Chair of the IAIS Executive Committee. “As we have experienced over the past years of social and economic challenges, there are enormous benefits to the global insurance sector when supervisors are able to cooperate quickly and effectively across jurisdictions. The MMoU is an essential regulatory tool for supervisors to foster safer and more stable insurance markets.”

“I am pleased that the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority has become a signatory to the IAIS MMoU,” stated Ms. Margarida Corrêa de Aguiar, President of ASF. “This agreement strengthens our ability to work cooperatively with other international supervisors – cooperation that is critically important to promoting effective supervision and protecting the consumers in Portugal.”

The IAIS MMoU provides a global framework of compliance and confidentiality to allow for open cooperation and exchange between insurance supervisors. To become a signatory to the MMoU, applicants undergo a rigorous assessment of their professional secrecy regimes, conducted by an independent team of IAIS members. Through membership in the MMoU, supervisors can exchange relevant information and assist other signatories, thereby promoting the financial stability and sound supervision of cross-border insurance operations for the benefit and protection of consumers.

Since the first jurisdiction was admitted in June 2009, the number of members has grown significantly, now representing three-quarters of global gross written premiums. A complete list of international signatories and a copy of the MMoU can be found on the IAIS website by clicking here.