Bank for International Settlements (BIS/BIZ)

Banque des Réglements Internationaux

Bank für Internationalen Zahlungssausgleich

Banca del Regolamenti Internazionali

Note: On November 21, 2008, the Bank for International Settlements announced the appointment of Jaime Caruana (Spain) to replace Malcolm Knight as general manager. Caruana, currently counselor and director of the International Monetary Fund's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, was to start a five-year term on April 1, 2009. For more on Knight's resignation, see below under “Activities.”

Established: By Agreement of Incorporation with the Swiss government dated January 20, 1930, with operations commencing March 17, 1930.

Purpose: “To promote the cooperation of central banks and to provide additional facilities for international financial operations; and to act as trustee or agent in regard to international financial settlements.”

Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland. The BIS opened the Representative Office for Asia and ...