1. On 20 January 1930, the Governments of Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Switzerland concluded at The Hague, the Convention respecting the Bank for International Settlements. The Convention included the Constituent Charter and the Statutes of the Bank (hereafter the Convention, the Constituent Charter and the Statutes of the Bank will be referred to collectively as the "Constituent...

1. On 20 January 1930, the Governments of Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Switzerland concluded at The Hague, the Convention respecting the Bank for International Settlements. The Convention included the Constituent Charter and the Statutes of the Bank (hereafter the Convention, the Constituent Charter and the Statutes of the Bank will be referred to collectively as the "Constituent Instruments"). The Bank for International Settlements (hereafter the "Bank" or "BIS") was organized, by Article 1 of the Statutes, as "a Company limited by shares" and its objects, according to Article 3, were to promote the co-operation of central banks and to provide additional facilities for international financial operations; and to act as trustee or agent in regard to international financial settlements entrusted to it under agreements with the parties concerned. 2. In extending invitations to subscribe to capital in the Bank, Article 10 of the Statutes prescribed that "consideration shall be given by the Board [of Directors of the Bank] to the desirability of associating with the Bank the largest possible number of central banks." 3. The shares did not convey any rights in the governance of the Bank.