EUREKO: RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN MICROINSURANCE

The official opening of the new EUREKO/ACHMEA Administration and Conference Centre in Zeist, the Netherlands, marked an important initiative by Interamerican's parent company to promote research and training in the Microinsurance sector. More specifically, on 24 September, EUREKO announced an action plan for Microinsurance, which foresees the establishment of a Microinsurance Knowledge Centre and the sponsorship of a special Microinsurance chair in a Dutch university.
EUREKO's aim, according to G. van Olphen, Vice Chairman of the EUREKO Executive Committee, is to extend the mutual insurance and solidarity scheme into something more than charity for developing countries, for financial reasons, and in order to improve the economic possibilities for people and businesses in these countries. "We will offer them knowledge instead of money," stressed G. van Olphen, when he presented a copy of the Microinsurance action plan to Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, who is herself a member of the Dutch Council for Microfinance.
The application of innovative ideas - which has been inspired by EUREKO and the strategic choices of Interamerican - in Microinsurance has been triggered by support from the Microinsurance Association of the Netherlands for programmes in India, Kenya, Nepal and Uganda, aiming to create and manage small-scale cooperative insurance companies. It is worth noting that the European insurance group EUREKO, to which Interamerican has belonged since 2001, has cooperative roots.