The conference this year focuses on Sovereign Bond Markets in Geopolitical Storms, and it is hosted by the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg. Co-organizers include the Bank of Canada, the Deutsche Bundesbank, Euronext-MTS, the European Central Bank, the European Stability Mechanism, the Imperial College | Brevan Howard Centre for Financial Analysis, the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, the London Business School | AQR Asset Management Institute, the McGill Luxembourg Centre for Finance, and the NYU Stern | Volatility and Risk Institute.

As global geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty rises, financial markets are displaying strains across the board, and no asset has been spared, from stocks to exchange rates to corporate bonds to commodities. Yet, at the center of it all are once again the markets for government bonds after more than a decade of relative calm following the crisis of the Euro. Inflation, political risk, trade wars, tariff uncertainty, and burgeoning debt have all been rocking sovereign bond markets at the same time when several governments around the world increasingly rely on them to fund expanding budget deficits. Central banks continue to hold large amount of these securities, whose gyrations affect their ability to pursue stabilizing monetary policies. This turmoil is likely to continue, and so are the unprecedented challenges currently faced by global capital markets.

The final program will include both submitted and invited papers. The conference will also feature a keynote speaker and a panel discussion on major outstanding issues in bond markets.