The BIS is the central bankers’ central bank. It is very discreet, and very influential. It was founded in 1930 to act as a trustee for the loans associated with the Young Plan for Germany Reparations. The first members of the bank were the central banks of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, together with three private U. S. banks. The Federal Reserve Bank subsequently became a member alone with all the major European central banks. Current membership consists of 30 central banks, of which 25 are European plus the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. (The BIS was unique in having Alhania and South Africa as co-member. ) The board of directors is composed of the governors of the central banks of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, together with co-opted directors from among the governors of those member central banks that do not have a representative on the board. The BIS has three main functions. It acts as a bank, primarily as a central bankers’ bank; it acts as a gathering place for central hankers, a vehicle for international monetary cooperation; and it acts as trustee for various international loans. The BIS’s role as an intermediary provides a number of advantages to other central banks. The first is anonymity : sometimes it is not convenient for a central bank to be seen to withdraw its funds from the market. The second is risk spreading: a deposit with the BIS is very safe since the bank is highly liquid. Finally, deposits placed with the BIS can usually be withdrawn at very short notice. |