Social unrest, strike action and political activism are on the rise across the globe, triggered by inequality and a growing concern that social liberties are being eroded according to a new report by Gallagher Re.
The report Responding to rising social unrest published in August 2023 said the current scenario presents significant challenges and risks for governments, business operators and communities across the political divide.
The insight report said insurance protection for losses relating to strikes, riots and civil commotion has been available under ‘all risks’ policies, subject to exclusions and specific terms being applied. However, the growing frequency, scale and severity of SRCC events has led underwriters to re-evaluate their risk appetite, with tighter scrutiny on terms, exclusions and policy wordings, along with country-by-country consideration for global insurance programmes.
It said as the terrorism and political violence insurance market continues to mature, insurance specialists and risk managers continue to play a critical role in providing an effective response to meet the evolving needs and expectations of an unpredictable risk landscape.
According to the Carnegie Global Protest Tracker, more than 400 significant anti-government protests have erupted worldwide since 2017. The speed at which events erupt, the ability to amass and organise and the globalised nature of discontent change how protests are perceived.
The insight said, “Businesses from all industries and of all sizes have become collateral damage in the wave of civil commotion, strikes and political violence events being reported across the globe. The importance of having a robust crisis management and critical response plan in place is heightened — a plan that equips business operators to stress test their insurance programmes, ensures they’re fit for purpose and allows normal business operations to continue in the event of a claim.”
A specialist political violence insurance market offers broad coverage for a range of events, encompassing smaller scale strikes and protests through to acts of terrorism and violence. M