Liberty International conference concludes with focus on economic freedom and entrepreneurship in Nepal

KATHMANDU: The three-day Liberty International World Conference 2026 concluded in Kathmandu on Sunday after bringing together speakers and participants for discussions on political and economic transformation, free markets, entrepreneurship, civil society, taxation, innovation and digital freedom.

The conference featured individual sessions and panel discussions, with several sessions focusing on Nepal’s political and economic environment and the challenges and opportunities facing its emerging entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The event opened with a session titled 'Nepal: A Political and Economic Transformation' by Sujeev Shakya, followed by a panel on 'Constitutional Implementation: Challenges and Triumphs'. Alessandro del Ponte and Sujan Regmi took part in that discussion, which was moderated by Akash Shrethi.

Also on the opening day, a panel titled 'How to Rise from the Ashes of Socialism' featured panellists Antonio Saravia and Jacek Spendel, with Tatiana Giacosa Czarnecki as moderator. Manogya Sharma of the Samriddhi Foundation received the 'Voice of Liberty Award' during the first day. In his acceptance speech, Sharma recalled the early challenges faced by the foundation and said it remained determined to continue its work for the greater good.

The award presentation was followed by a session on 'Music and Liberty' by Glenn Cripe and an opera performance featuring Cripe and Daniela Tabernig.

The second day concentrated on entrepreneurship, markets, international trade, taxation and the relationship between civil society and state control. Per Bylund led a session titled 'The Wealth of Nations, Revisited: Entrepreneurship and the Markets', while a panel comparing trade models, 'Free Trade Across Continents: Comparing EU and Asian Models', included Toasz Bethke and Krishna Khanal.

A panel on 'Civil Society vs State Control' featured Bishnu Prasad Timilsina, Deependra Chamlagain, Ichchha Khatiwada and Sarwagya Raj Pandey. Later sessions included 'Taxation vs Innovation', with Daniel Behrman and Hiroshi Yoshida, 'Economic Lessons from Nepal' by Antonio Saravia, and 'Storytelling for Liberty: Communicating Ideas Effectively' by Ken Schoolland. Gurcharan Das delivered the keynote address, and the 'Lifetime Libertarian Award' was presented during the evening programme.

The final day broadened discussions to technology, education, digital freedom and entrepreneurship. José Cordeiro led a session on 'Longevity and Politics', and a panel explored 'The Power of Digital Nomadism'. Digital technology and freedom were central to a panel on 'Digital Tools to Spread Libertarianism', featuring Marcin Chmielowski and Robbie Miled, while Carter Feldman delivered a session titled 'The Case for Digital Freedom'.

Education and institutional roles were debated in 'Phoenix from the Ashes: What the Classroom Never Taught You', with Lauren Autrey, Tomás Barreiro, Jaehyeon Park, Nafisa Pierce and Neha Viswanathan. Nepal’s entrepreneurship prospects were highlighted in 'From Vision to Reality: Building Nepal's Entrepreneurship Ecosystem', featuring Rakesh Surana and moderated by Jacek Spendel.

The conference concluded with sessions 'Winning Hearts and Minds for Liberty' by Amit Chandra and 'The Work Ahead, The Journey Together' by Arpita Nepal, followed by the 'Freedom Torch Award' presentation and a closing gala dinner.

Across three days, delegates explored the relationship between political freedom, economic policy, entrepreneurship, civil society and technological change, placing Nepal at the centre of discussions on economic transformation and the development of its entrepreneurship ecosystem.