The Rule of Law as the Key to Economic Freedom?

The tenth international conference of the Economic Freedom Network Asia will convene at the Sofitel hotel in Seam Reap, Cambodia on 8-10 October 2009. It is shaping up as an event that should not be missed.

With the current global economic crisis as backdrop, this year’s conference focuses on the current trend of the market governance. The main theme of this year’s conference, Overcoming the Global Financial and Economic Crisis: The Rule of Law as the Key to Economic Freedom?, is devoted to the topic of dealing with the global economic crisis. While crises are nothing new, this one is severe and it has exposed some serious flaws in our economic institutions. We need to understand them to see which reforms are needed.



We also need to guard against those who use the crisis as a pretext for furthering their own illiberal agendas. We will try to explore how to bridge the gap between people’s clamour for action and protection against the effects of the crisis can be reconciled to sober economic analysis. Otherwise we risk wasting huge amounts of resources for little effect, resources that will go to the politically powerful rather than the needy poor. This is why we also focus on the need to understand who is most affected and what should be done to keep them in focus.

The conference is a platform for the exchange of useful information, practical techniques and networking tailored to the needs of think tanks, industry, academics and policymakers. Since 1998, it has become the EFN Asia conference’s custom to utilise various forms of comprehensive and interactive programmes. In addition to keynote presentations and panel discussions, this year’s conference will employ the Open Space Technology (OST). OST is a facilitation method which allows participants to identify specific issues, self-select into discussion groups and work on issues with individuals of similar interests.

Please visit the EFN Asia website for more information at www.efnasia.org

To register, please contact the EFN Asia coordinator at gorawut.numnak@fnst.org

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