The Global Shield Secretariat joins Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management to host the Global Shield Secretariat from January 2026.
• Continued support to climate-vulnerable countries with innovative, tailored pre-arranged financial protection solutions.
• The Global Shield Secretariat will benefit from Frankfurt School’s research, capacity development, financial expertise and practical impact.
• Enhanced synergy with the Global Shield Solutions Platform, one of the Financing Vehicles of the Global Shield, also hosted by Frankfurt School.

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management will assume the hosting of the Global Shield Secretariat from 1 January 2026, marking a new chapter in the initiative’s efforts to strengthen financial protection for climate-vulnerable countries.

The current co-hosting arrangement with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and United Nations University-Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE) was essential to incubate country-led financial solutions for addressing climate risks, building on the strengths and leadership of both organisations in climate and disaster risk finance and insurance. Since its launch in 2022, the Global Shield has been at the forefront of innovation in pre-arranged finance, promoting a systematic and coordinated approach in designing tailored financial solutions that reduce vulnerability and build resilience.

Building on the solid foundation established, Frankfurt School is proud to take over the hosting of the initiative’s Secretariat, where it will be embedded in an environment of research, capacity development, and financial expertise. The new hosting arrangement strengthens alignment with the Global Shield Solutions Platform (GSSP), one of the initiative's Financing Vehicles, which is also hosted by Frankfurt School. This new phase will leverage the country-led model and Global Shield’s implementation efforts, ensuring faster, more effective delivery of pre-arranged financing solutions that meet countries’ national protection needs and priorities. The Secretariat will continue partnering with all three Financing Vehicles – the aforementioned GSSP, the Global Shield Financing Facility and the V20's Joint Multi-Donor Fund – as well as with members of the Global Shield's coordination hub. The move also broadens the initiative’s support to beneficiary countries with greater donor engagement and sustainable resource mobilisation to drive implementation of country-led pre-arranged financing solutions. 

"We are immensely proud to have provided institutional steer of the Global Shield initiative, bringing not only the Global Shield concept to reality but infusing it with the valuable learnings, best practices and institutional arrangements of the InsuResilience Global Partnership, Global Shield's predecessor. The Secretariat’s transition to Frankfurt School signifies that Global Shield is robust and ready for an era of further innovation and implementation”, said Dr. Astrid Zwick, outgoing Co-Director of the Global Shield Secretariat.

“This is a milestone moment for the Global Shield initiative and one that proves that partnership works. As a co-host, the UNU-ViE ensured that the voices and needs of climate-vulnerable nations of the V20 remained at the absolute centre of Global Shield’s in-country processes to inform reliable and faster climate finance, delivered through pre-arranged financial solutions. As the hosting evolves, the focus now shifts entirely to accelerated implementation and tangible impact on the ground”, said fellow outgoing Global Shield Secretariat Co-Director, Mr. Nilesh Prakash.

“Welcoming the Global Shield Secretariat to Frankfurt School reflects our deep commitment to advancing climate resilience and sustainable finance,” said Eugen Doce, Senior Director International Advisory Services at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. “This partnership unites academic excellence, financial innovation and practical implementation, helping countries access the tools and expertise they need to protect their people and economies from the growing impacts of climate change.”

The Secretariat will continue to engage with partners and stakeholders, ensuring continued support for ongoing country processes and implementation of country support packages.