The IMF Statistics Department has prepared the International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity: Guidelines for a Data Template (Guidelines). The Guidelines are also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

The Guidelines were released initially in 2001 and updated in 2012. The update was needed to ensure consistency with the Data Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity (“Reserves Data Template”) itself, which was modified in 2009 as a consequence of the Executive Board’s Decision to strengthen the effectiveness of Article VIII section (5) of the Fund’s Articles of Agreement. Some clarifications to the Guidelines were also necessary based on the IMF Statistics Department’s experience with member countries that report on the Reserves Data Template.

The updated Guidelines contribute to the IMF's initiatives to enhance data transparency among its member countries and to provide international methodological standards. They support analysis and financial surveillance, and the adoption of sound macroeconomic policies.