04 June 2025

FiCS and the Berne Union launch a New Working Group

Strengthening Ties with Export Credit Insurers: FiCS at the 2025 Berne Union Spring Meeting

From May 12–15, 2025, Finance in Common (FiCS) participated in the Berne Union Spring Meeting, held in Dubrovnik and hosted by the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR). Under the theme of “Resilience”, the meeting brought together 270 participants from 91 institutions to discuss the evolving role of export credit and sustainable finance in a time of global uncertainty.

Adama Mariko, Secretary General of FiCS, represented the movement during the “BU Affairs” session and the “Presidential Platform & Secretariat Update” panel on May 14. His intervention provided Berne Union members with an overview of the FiCS network of 536 public development banks, outlining the key outcomes of the 2025 Cape Town Summit, the collective contribution to the Financing for Development (FfD4) process, and the importance of building bridges with Export Credit Insurers (ECIs).

A New Working Group for PDBs and ECIs

A key highlight of FiCS' participation was the launch of a joint working group with the Berne Union. This initiative will foster structured dialogue between PDBs and ECIs, with the goal of building mutual understanding and identifying concrete areas for collaboration.

The working group will:

Explore the complementarity of PDB and ECI mandates
Align operations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Contribute to the reform of the international financial system
Increase cooperation between FiCS and BU members

The first meeting is scheduled for June 2025, and will focus on co-developing a roadmap and work plan.

Why It Matters

This new partnership with the Berne Union reflects FiCS’ broader mission: to build a more coherent, aligned, and impactful public finance system, capable of mobilizing investment for climate, development, and resilience.

The collaboration between PDBs and ECIs represents a unique opportunity to leverage complementary strengths—blending long-term public finance with risk-sharing instruments to scale sustainable investment where it’s most needed.

FiCS extends its warm thanks to the Berne Union Secretariat, HBOR, and all participating institutions for their engagement and support. This marks a promising step toward closer collaboration between two essential pillars of international finance.

Stay tuned for updates as the working group begins its work in June.