Mont Pelerin Society

Nordica Hotel is within walking distance from down-town Reykjavik. The conference office and centre will be based on the Hotel's first floor.

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Harold Demsetz
is one of the leading exponents of the property rights movement in modern economics. His “Towards a Theory of Property Rights” is one of the most-quoted papers in the literature of economics. He has taught at the University of Chicago and UCLA and served on the Board of Directors of the Mont Pelerin Society.

Vaclav Klaus
is now President of the Czech Republic, having been Finance Minister and then Prime Minister, after the “Velvet Revolution” of 1989 in which the communist regime was overthrown. He was largely responsible for the swift and successful transition in the Czech economy from socialist commands to individual choices.

David Oddsson
Foreign Minister of Iceland and leader of the Independence Party, guided his country through an extensive programme of liberalisation, deregulation, stabilisation, privatisation and tax reduction during more than 13 years as Prime Minister, 1991-2004.

Arnold Harberger
taught for a long time at the University of Chicago where he inspired countless students of economics from all over the world with his forceful defence of free trade. He has also served as a consultant to many governments and international organisations and is at present Professor of Economics at the UCLA.

Andrei Illarionov
is the Chief Economic Adviser to President Putin of Russia. He has been an outspoken and fearless spokesman for free market reforms, including privatisation and deregulation, in his country.

We are pleased to invite you to a regional meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society in Reykjavik, Iceland, from Sunday 21 August to Wednesday 24 August 2005. The main theme is Liberty and Property in the 21st Century. Individual sessions will be devoted to issues such as why small nations tend to be wealthier than big ones, private property rights in broadcasting and fishing, constraints on government created by globalisation and tax competition, and genetic research. Speakers include President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic, Foreign Minister David Oddsson of Iceland, Andrei Illarionov, Chief Economic Adviser to President Putin, Mart Laar, former Prime Minister of Estonia, and Professors Arnold Harberger, Gary Libecap and Terry Anderson.

Iceland is in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean with direct flights in the summer from Baltimore, Minneapolis, Boston, Orlando, New York (JFK), San Francisco, Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Helsinki, Milan, Madrid, Munich, and Zurich.

Iceland is a beautiful country of fire and ice, glaciers and hot springs, high mountains and green pastures, and a milder climate than its location (and name) would suggest. Discovered by Norse Vikings in 874, a Commonwealth was in place for more than three centuries, with private enforcement of law, and no central government.

From 1991, a comprehensive programme of liberalisation, privatisation, tax reduction, and stabilisation has been implemented. Moreover, Iceland is one of the few countries in the world with an efficient management of fisheries. Since almost all modern Icelanders are descended from the same group of Viking settlers, Iceland, with its excellent medical and family records, has also recently become a centre for interesting genetic research.

On Monday 22 August there will be an optional evening excursion to the renowned Blue Lagoon. The main conference tour will be on Tuesday 23 August,- a visit to Thingvellir, the site of the ancient Icelandic parliament, where the continental rift between Europe and America can be observed, on to the magnificent waterfall of Gullfoss and the famous hot spring Geyser.

On behalf of the Programme and Organising Committees,

Prof Harold Demsetz
Prof Hannes H. Gissurarson


Thingvellir The site of the ancient Icelandic parliament, will be visited on Tuesday 23 August. More at thingvellir.is	Blue Lagoon One of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, and for a good reason. More at bluelagoon.com	Geysir The famous hot spring in the South of Iceland, gives name to all such springs, geysers. More at geysircenter.com

questions@mps-iceland.org