Governance and organisation
Chapter 5 from BIS Annual Report 2019/20
The BIS is governed at three levels. Each of these levels participates in the governance and decision-making related to the BIS activities in the areas of international cooperation, policy analysis, banking operations and resource management.
General Meetings of member central banks
Sixty-two central banks and monetary authorities are currently members of the BIS, each having rights of voting and representation at General Meetings.
Board of Directors
The Board determines the Bank's strategic and policy direction, supervises BIS Management and fulfils specific tasks as set out in the Bank's Statutes.
BIS Management
The management of the Bank is directed by the General Manager, who is responsible to the Board of Directors for the conduct of the Bank. The General Manager is assisted by the Deputy General manager and advised by the Executive Committee.
Accountability
The BIS has four fully independent control functions that ensure the Bank abides to the highest legal and ethical standards: Risk Management, Internal Audit, Compliance and the Legal Service. Its budget and remuneration practices are governed by solid and transparent policies.
The Bank also seeks to increasingly integrate social and environmental concerns into its operations. These efforts include fostering diversity among its staff, making charitable donations and addressing climate-related challenges.
Organisation
The BIS has four main departments. They encompass economic research and analysis, innovation, banking and corporate services.
Stress test: meeting the operational challenges of Covid-19
Learn how the coronavirus pandemic has tested business resilience in an unprecedented way and how the Bank has responded.
Communications and engagement
The BIS strives to engage with its stakeholders in appealing and innovative ways. In the year under review, the BIS continued to work on presenting its data in more dynamic and user-friendly ways and simplifying the language used in its communications.
Staff
The Bank's employees are its greatest asset. BIS staff have expertise in finance, banking, risk management, international law, monetary and financial economics, statistics, financial technology and cyber security, among other fields.
As part of the Innovation BIS 2025 programme, the Bank launched the People Strategy to align its human resources management policies and practices with the evolving needs of the organisation.