Key Attributes Assessment Methodology for the Insurance Sector

This methodology sets out essential criteria to guide the assessment of the compliance of a jurisdiction’s insurance resolution framework with the FSB’s Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions (‘Key Attributes’). It was developed in collaboration with experts from FSB jurisdictions, relevant standard-setting bodies, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It is designed to promote consistent assessments across jurisdictions and to provide guidance to jurisdictions when adopting or amending their resolution regimes to implement the Key Attributes.

The Key Attributes constitute an ‘umbrella’ standard for resolution regimes for all types of financial institutions. Implementation of the Key Attributes allows authorities to resolve financial institutions in an orderly manner without taxpayer exposure to loss from solvency support, while maintaining continuity of their vital economic functions. However, not all attributes are equally relevant for all sectors. The Key Attributes Assessment Methodology provides an insurance sector-specific interpretation of individual KAs. It stresses that a jurisdiction’s insurance resolution regime should be proportionate to the size, structure and complexity of the jurisdiction’s insurance system.

The FSB also issued a note explaining the application of the insurance KAAM and the Key Attributes during the period of suspension of the designation of Global Systemically Important Insurers (G-SIIs). It states that the Key Attributes continue to apply during the suspension period to any insurer that could be systemically significant or critical in failure. National authorities may apply to certain insurers the requirements specific to G-SIIs, which are the requirements for a crisis management group, institution-specific cross-border cooperation agreements and resolvability assessments). In the event of a 2022 decision to discontinue the G-SII list, the FSB will review the scope of application of G-SII specific requirements in consultation with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.