International Association of Insurance Supervisors

What International Association of Insurance Supervisors does

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) is a voluntary membership organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, where it is hosted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). It serves as the global standard-setting body for the insurance sector, with membership from over 200 jurisdictions representing approximately 97% of the world's insurance premiums. Its core work products are regulatory frameworks — the Insurance Core Principles (ICPs), ComFrame for internationally active insurance groups, the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS), and the Holistic Framework for systemic risk — complemented by the Global Insurance Market Report (GIMAR), Application Papers, online tools (ICP and ComFrame Tool, ICS Online Tool, IAIS Glossary), and the Member Assessment Programme (MAP) for evaluating jurisdictional implementation.

IAIS operates as a non-profit standards-setting body rather than a commercial entity. Its business model is funded through member jurisdiction contributions and institutional support from BIS, with no commercial pricing model. Distribution is conducted through free website downloads of standards, global events (Annual Conference, Global Seminars, Stakeholder events), public consultations, and capacity building partnerships with implementation partners in emerging markets. Customer segments are institutional: insurance supervisors and regulators (primary), and insurance industry stakeholders including insurers, industry associations, and other financial sector bodies (secondary). Recent strategic activity has focused on thematic notes on risk-based solvency regimes and application papers on recovery and resolution planning, extending IAIS guidance into emerging supervisory topics such as cyber risk, climate risk, and digital innovation.

Name

International Association of Insurance Supervisors

Legal name

International Association of Insurance Supervisors

Website

https://iais.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) is a Basel-based voluntary membership organization, hosted by the Bank for International Settlements, that sets global standards for insurance supervision for over 200 member jurisdictions representing 97% of world insurance premiums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Institutional Support: As a membership organization hosted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the IAIS operates through member jurisdictions and institutional partnerships rather than generating commercial revenue. The organization develops and publishes global standards for insurance supervision that are made available to member insurance regulators and supervisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The IAIS is a global standard-setting body that develops, publishes, and supports the implementation of principles, standards, and guidance for the supervision of the insurance sector. Its deliverables include the Insurance Core Principles (ICPs), ComFrame, the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS), the Holistic Framework for systemic risk, assessment reports, and associated digital tools, all made available to insurance supervisors and regulators worldwide.

Product overview

The IAIS is a voluntary membership organisation of insurance supervisors and regulators serving as the global standard-setting body for insurance supervision. Its product portfolio consists of regulatory frameworks and standards (Insurance Core Principles, ComFrame, Insurance Capital Standard, Holistic Framework), supported by online assessment tools (ICP Self Assessment Tool, ICS Online Tool, ICP and ComFrame Tool), publications (Global Insurance Market Report, Application Papers, Issues Papers), and assessment services (Member Assessment Programme). The core offerings are interconnected frameworks that together support the protection of policyholders and promote the stability of the global financial system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Core Principles (ICPs) The globally accepted framework of principles and supporting material for insurance supervision, forming the foundation of standards for the supervision of the insurance sector. It is intended for use by insurance supervisors and regulators worldwide.
• ComFrame Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups that builds on the ICPs and focuses on group-wide supervision of internationally active insurance groups.
• Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) Consolidated group-wide capital standard for internationally active insurance groups, forming the quantitative element of ComFrame with three components: valuation, qualifying capital resources, and a standard method for the ICS capital requirement.
• Holistic Framework Integrated set of supervisory policy measures, a global monitoring exercise, and implementation assessment activities for the assessment and mitigation of systemic risk in the insurance sector.
• Global Insurance Market Report (GIMAR) Annual report presenting the outcomes of the Global Monitoring Exercise, assessing global insurance market trends and developments and detecting possible build-up of systemic risk in the global insurance sector.
• ICP Self Assessment Tool Online self-assessment tool for insurance supervisors to evaluate their observance of the Insurance Core Principles (ICPs).
• ICP and ComFrame Tool Online tool for accessing and navigating Insurance Core Principles (ICPs) and ComFrame standards.
• ICS Online Tool Online tool for accessing and navigating the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) framework.
• IAIS Glossary Comprehensive glossary of insurance supervision terminology used across IAIS standards, guidance, and publications.
• Member Assessment Programme (MAP) In-depth assessment of a member jurisdiction's implementation of all current ICPs, including review of legal structure, jurisdictional regulations, and supervisory policies and practices.
• Thematic Notes on Risk-Based Solvency Two thematic notes supporting the transition to risk-based solvency (RBS) regimes, covering ORSA objectives, practices, and implementation steps as well as IFRS adoption and implications for RBS implementation.
• Application Papers on Recovery and Resolution Application papers providing guidance on recovery planning and on resolution powers, preparation and plans for insurance supervisors.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bank for International Settlements (BIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994The IAIS is hosted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. BIS provides institutional support and oversight, including personal data protection functions. The BIS oversees IAIS personal data complaints and rectification requests.
• Insurance Supervisors and Regulators (Member Jurisdictions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 200 insurance supervisors and regulators from jurisdictions worldwide constitute the IAIS membership. Members participate in standard-setting, capacity building, and implementation assessment activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Financial Stability Board (FSB): The FSB coordinates international financial stability work across sectors and relies on bodies like IAIS to deliver sectoral standards. IAIS participates in FSB workstreams, making FSB a closely coordinated peer rather than a competitor.
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): OECD develops policy standards and guidance touching on insurance (e.g., pension, corporate governance) and serves a comparable role as an international policy-setting body, though with a broader mandate.
• Bank for International Settlements (BIS): BIS is the host institution of IAIS and the umbrella body for several international supervisory committees. It is comparable as an international organization shaping global financial standards, though at a broader, cross-sectoral level.

Direct peers

• Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS): The BCBS is the global standard-setting body for banking supervision, hosted by the same parent institution (BIS) as IAIS. It is the most direct structural peer, with an analogous mandate to develop and promote international supervisory standards.
• International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO): IOSCO is the global standard setter for securities regulation and the direct sectoral counterpart to IAIS. Both bodies develop cross-border supervisory principles and conduct peer reviews for their respective financial sectors.
• Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI): CPMI is another BIS-hosted standard-setting committee, focused on payment, clearing and settlement infrastructures. It shares IAIS's institutional home, governance model, and standards-based approach to international financial supervision.

Regional players

• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): NAIC is the US state-based insurance regulatory body that adopts and adapts IAIS-aligned standards domestically. It is a comparable insurance supervisory standard-setter, but operates only in the US.
• European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA): EIOPA is the EU's regional insurance supervisor and a key implementer of IAIS-aligned standards in Europe. It is comparable in mission (insurance supervision) but operates at a regional rather than global level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6oEVzrh7-UrCQ7qFi8sf0Q
• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/iais-international-association-of-insurance-supervisors
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Association of Insurance Supervisors