This is the value as at the relevant date of credit commitments outstanding vis-a-vis non-residents of the reporting party's offices worldwide and the exposures of their foreign affiliates from guarantees vis-a-vis residents of the countries where the affiliates are located.                                                                                                                                             Credit commitments should be reported to the extent that they represent the unutilised portions of both binding contractual obligations and any other irrevocable commitments. They should only cover those obligations, which, if utilised, would be reported in total cross-border claims and local claims of foreign affiliates in any currency.                                                                                                                                            Credit commitments represent arrangements that irrevocably obligate a reporting party, at a client's request, to extend credit in the form of loans, participation in loans, lease financing receivables, mortgages, overdrafts or other loan substitutes or commitments to extend credit in the form of the purchase of loans, securities or other assets, such as back-up facilities including those under note issuance facilities (NIFs) and revolving underwriting facilities (RUFs).