Review Essay: The Bank for International Settlements: An Assessment of its Role in International Monetary and Financial Policy Coordination

This article reviews the role of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and its adaptability to the changing international financial structure, from the gold standard to floating exchange rates. Today, the BIS has assumed the role of creator of international standards for banks and financial conglomerates through the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Its implied mission is to prevent international financial crises and to mitigate negative externalities when they occur. The overall assessment of the BIS is positive. Its small membership gives it a sense of purpose and minimizes free riding. Given the high degree of financial integration in the world and consequent large spillovers, the BIS would have to be created if it did not already exist.