The G10 emerged in the 1960s as a group of creditor countries which stated their willingness to allocate additional financial resources to the International Monetary Fund (the General Agreements to Borrow). Today, it comprises representatives from 11 countries : United States, Japan, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden plus Switzerland. Once a year it meets at the level of the Finance Ministers and central bank governors alongside the annual meeting of the IMF.

A number of standing committees come under the authority of the "G10 governors", meeting regularly in Basle. The Committee on the Global Financial System monitors developments on the financial markets and evaluates instruments for preventing the risks of financial crisis. The Basle Committee on Banking Supervision deals with questions concerning banking supervision, particularly the capital requirements which credit institutions must meet in order to cover their risks. Payment and settlement systems are also studied via the Committee on Payments and Settlements Systems . Finally, the Markets Committee monitors activity on the foreign exchange markets.