· Mohamed ALOUANE · Announcements · 5 min read
Join Our UNGA80 Side Event: Putting a Floor Under the AI Divide in the South Mediterranean
We're excited to invite you to our UNGA80 side event on September 25, 2025, focusing on AI capacity building and governance in the South Mediterranean region.
Join Our UNGA80 Side Event: Putting a Floor Under the AI Divide in the South Mediterranean
We’re thrilled to invite you to our upcoming UNGA80 side event, where we’ll explore critical issues around AI capacity and governance in the South Mediterranean region. This session brings together EuroMedAI network members and guest experts for a focused briefing and dialogue.
Event Details
Date/Time: Thursday, 25 September 2025, 17:30–19:00 CEST (online)
Registration: https://lu.ma/sbn0w9vg
Format: Online (Microsoft Teams) with live captions and FR/AR interpretation if available
What to Expect
This comprehensive session will provide an evidence-based snapshot of AI capacity in the South Mediterranean, aligned with UN A/79/966. We’ll introduce the EuroMedAI network’s mission and pillars, and explore practical steps to strengthen capabilities, address gaps, and narrow the AI divide across the region.
Program Schedule
Keynote: AI Capacity in the South Mediterranean (17:35 - 17:50)
| Time | Session | Speaker | Affiliation |
| 17:35-17:50 | AI Capacity in the South Mediterranean: A Snapshot | Alejandro Tlaie Boria, PhD | Talos Senior Fellow, SaferAI Member, EuroMedAI |
| Mohamed ALOUANE | Chair, EuroMedAI, AI Policy Researcher |
Panel I: AI Governance, Safety, and Rights (17:50 - 18:20)
| Time | Topic | Speaker | Affiliation |
| 17:50-18:05 | From Skills to Systems: Building AI Capacity for Sustainable Smart Cities | Asmae Ben Bahid | AI & Innovation Expert, CEO of Just Bim It |
| 18:05-18:10 | Transformative AI in Academia: Pipeline-building for National Security | PARV MAHAJAN | AI Safety Researcher, Georgia Tech Research Institute |
| 18:10-18:15 | A Mediterranean Assessment of Algorithmic Colonialism | Cristiano Luchini | Independent Researcher in AI Safety & Systems Architect |
| 18:15-18:20 | Embedding Human Rights in AI Governance: Lessons from Youth Policy Frameworks | Davide Capecchi | PhD Candidate, Senior Advisor |
Panel II: AI Capacity in the South Mediterranean (18:20 - 18:50)
| Time | Topic | Speaker | Affiliation |
| 18:20-18:30 | Southeast Asia in Global AI Governance: Key Learnings | Lyantoniette Chua | Cofounder, Executive Director for Strategic Futures and Global Affairs, AI Safety Asia |
| 18:30-18:40 | Resilience and Sovereignty of Public Sector AI Technologies | Yonah Welker | Visiting Lecturer, Evaluator, Rapporteur, MIT EU Commission Projects |
| 18:40-18:45 | From Ambition to Action: Morocco's AI Readiness and National Ecosystem | Sara El-Ateif, PhD | Assistant Professor of Big Data and AI, ENSIASD |
| 18:45-18:50 | Building AI from the Ground Up: Language Data and Capacity for the Global South | Sa'ad Nasir Bashir | Co-founder, Localizehau (African Language AI & Localization) |
Who Should Attend
This event is designed for:
- Policymakers
- Researchers
- Civil society representatives
- Standards bodies
- Funders
- Industry leaders
- Practitioners working on responsible AI, compute/data infrastructure, and skills
Key Focus Areas
Our discussion will center on several critical themes:
AI Governance, Safety, and Rights
- Building AI capacity for sustainable smart cities
- Transformative AI in academia and national security
- Algorithmic colonialism assessment in the Mediterranean
- Human rights integration in AI governance frameworks
AI Capacity Building
- Southeast Asian lessons in global AI governance
- Public sector AI resilience and sovereignty
- National AI ecosystem development (Morocco case study)
- Language data and capacity building for the Global South
Access & Format
- Platform: Online via Microsoft Teams
- Accessibility: Live captions provided
- Languages: English
- Follow-up: Recording and slides will be shared with registrants
Registration
Please register here: https://lu.ma/sbn0w9vg
Feel free to forward this invitation to colleagues who may be interested in contributing to the conversation about AI governance in the Mediterranean region.
About EuroMedAI
The Euro-Mediterranean Network for AI Governance (EuroMedAI) is dedicated to promoting responsible AI governance, safety, and inclusivity across the Mediterranean region. Through multistakeholder collaboration, we work to ensure that AI development serves our communities and reflects our shared values.
We look forward to your participation in this important dialogue about the future of AI in the South Mediterranean.
Mohamed ALOUANE
Network Chair, EuroMedAI