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1. Main Functions

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international organization which fosters monetary and financial cooperation and serves exclusively as a bank for central banks. Therefore, it does not accept deposits from, or provide financial services to, private individuals or corporate entities. The BIS fulfils its mandate by acting as:

2.1 A forum to promote discussion and policy analysis among central banks and within the international financial community

Bimonthly meetings of the Governors and other senior officials of the BIS member central banks to discuss monetary and financial matters are instrumental in pursuing this goal. The standing committees located at the BIS support central banks, and authorities in charge of financial stability more generally, by providing background analysis and policy recommendations. These committees also help formulate international standards and best practices on the relevant matters. The committees comprise:

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (http://www.bis.org/bcbs/index.htm)

The Committee on the Global Financial System (http://www.bis.org/cgfs/index.htm)

The Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (http://www.bis.org/cpss/index.htm)

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