Bank for International Settlements (BIS/BIZ)

Banque des Réglements Internationaux

Bank für Internationalen Zahlungssausgleich

Banca del Regolamenti Internazionali

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 the Pacific in Hong Kong in 1998, with a second for the Americas in Mexico City, Mexico, in November 2002.

Principal Organs: Board of Directors (16 members), General Meeting, Management.

Web site: www.bis.org

President and Chair of the Board: Guillermo Ortiz (Mexico).

Membership (55): Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, ...