Disponible en Español

Course on International Reserves Statistics

March 31 - April 4, 2025
CEMLA Mexico City, Mexico
Face-to-face format

Organizing Institutions

Center for Latin American Monetary Studies, A. C. (CEMLA)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Content

This new course, presented by the IMF's Statistics Department, will cover the conceptual framework for international reserves statistics, the guidelines for the compilation of the template for international reserves and foreign currency liquidit (IRFCL) and updates on international reserves issues that will be incorporated by the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics Manual, seventh edition (BPM7). The course consists of lectures and workshops that will delve into the challenges in identifying reserve assets in emerging and complex transactions undertaken by the monetary authorities. The course emphasizes specific transactions, such as transactions on financial derivatives, pledged assets, securities under repos or foreign currency swaps between central banks. The course will also covers the standard definition of net international reserves, as described in BPM7, and reserve related liabilities.

Objective

It aims at providing a deep understanding of the concepts, definitions and compilation techniques for official reserve assets and their application for identifying those assets that meet the criteria to be considered reserves.

Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to: (a) Apply knowledge gained in dealing with complex methodological and compilation issues related to official reserve assets; (b) Identify the assets that should be classified as international reserves and those that should be excluded for not meeting the necessary requirements; c) Understand and complete the four sections of the IRFCL; d) Estimate net international reserves according to the standard definition that will be included in the updated balance of payments manual; e) Check the consistency between reserve values included in different macroeconomic statistics; and f) Describe the analytical uses of the IRFCL.

Aimed at

Officials from central banks and balance of payments agencies who have some degree of experience in the compilation and/or analysis of international reserves statistics, especially the template for international reserves and foreign currency liquidity. They should also be familiar with the methodology of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, sixth edition (BPM6) and the International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity: Guidelines for a Data Template.

Coordinator