The International Monetary Fund since its inception has had a compelling interest in developing and promulgating guidelines for the compilation of consistent, sound, and timely balance of payments statistics. This work underpins the IMF’s other responsibilities, including conducting surveillance of countries’ economic policies and providing financial assistance that enables countries to overcome short-term balance of payments difficulties. Such guidelines, which have evolved to meet changing circumstances, have been embodied in successive editions of the Balance of Payments Manual (the Manual) since the first edition was published in 1948. I am pleased to introduce the sixth edition of the Manual, which addresses the many important developments that have occurred in the international economy since the fifth edition was released. The fifth edition of the Manual, released in 1993, for the first time addressed the important area of international investment position statistics. The sixth edition builds on the growing interest in examining vulnerabilities using balance sheet data, as reflected in the addition of international investment position to the title, and extensive elaboration of balance sheet components. The Manual also takes into account developments in globalization, for example, currency unions, cross-border production processes, complex international company structures, and issues associated with international labor mobility, such as remittances. In addition, it deals with developments in financial markets by including updated treatments and elaborations on a range of issues, such as securitization and special purpose entities. Because of the important relationship between external and domestic economic developments, the Manual was revised in parallel with the update of the System of National Accounts 2008. To support consistency and interlinkages among different macroeconomic statistics, this edition of the Manual deepens the harmonization with the System of National Accounts and the IMF’s manuals on government finance and on monetary and financial statistics. The revised Manual has been prepared by the IMF’s Statistics Department in close consultation with the IMF Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics, which includes experts from a range of member countries as well as international and regional organizations. In addition, input was received from specialized expert groups, and from member countries and international organizations during regional seminars and public comment periods on successive drafts of the Manual. In total, representatives from virtually all IMF member countries participated in one or more of these initiatives. The process underlying the revision of the Manual demonstrates the spirit of international collaboration and cooperation, and I would like to commend all of the national and international experts involved for their invaluable assistance. I would like to recommend the Manual to compilers and users. I urge member countries to adopt the guidelines of the sixth edition as their basis for compiling balance of payments and international investment position statistics and for reporting this information to the IMF.