Opening remarks (Sep 2025)

Welcoming remarks were provided by representatives of the three funding organizations of the openIMIS initiative; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the European Union (EU).

Alexander Schrade, Senior Policy Officer, Division Population Policy, Social Protection for BMZ, acknowledged that more than half of the world’s population still has no access to adequate social protection. Growing financial constraints on international cooperation highlight the need to focus on sustainable, resilient systems. Digital Public Goods like openIMIS are an important means of strengthening social protection systems and work best when supported by collaboration between multilateral organizations.

Echoing the importance of this systematic collaboration, Selina Baumberger, Program Officer, Thematic Cooperation, Health for SDC , praised the evolution of openIMIS from a health insurance management system into a flexible, interoperable digital public good that offers diverse solutions in health, social protection, and perhaps in the future within humanitarian contexts.

Laure Rogès, Head of Sector for Inequality, Social Protection, Disability and Demography at the European Commission  (EU INTPA)  underlined the EU’s commitment to digital transformation in social protection as part of the Global Gateway agenda on digitalization, a core element of which is support of the Digital Convergence Initiative (DCI). One element of the DCI’s work is the development of international technical standards which allow Digital Public Goods like openIMIS to interoperate.Ms Rogès also echoed Ms Baumberger in recognizing the potential of linking humanitarian assistance with social protection systems, based on open-source digital tools. This connection can bridge short-term relief with longer-term support for resilience building efforts.