Systemic financial crises have become a common albeit infrequent feature of the global financial landscape. Since 1980, nearly every country has been affected by serious financial distress or systemic financial crises. Resolution of such crises requires a complex mix of macroeconomic and financial sector policies. One important element in the resolution of such crises is the restructuring and resolution of problem banks, with considerable experience gained in this area in the past decade. This volume outlines the theoretical insights that have been gained and the practical lessons learned.

The impact of globalization of financial markets is a highly debated topic, particularly in recent months when the issue of globalization and contagion of financial distress has become a focus of intense policy debate. The papers in this volume provide an up-to-date overview of the key issues in this debate. While most of the contributions were prepared after the initial outbreak of the current global turmoil and financial crisis, they identify the relative strengths of the risk diversification and risk transmission processes and examine the empirical evidence to date. The book considers the relative roles of banks, nonbank financial institutions and capital markets in both risk diversification and risk transmission. It then evaluates the current status of crisis resolution in a global context, and speculates where to go from here in terms of understanding, resolution, prevention and public policy.