Bringing an island perspective to the conversation.
Perspectives on AI governance, digital public infrastructure and digital sovereignty, grounded in practical experience from the Maldives and research into the choices facing smaller states.
Themes I speak about
Digital sovereignty and the small-state experience
How the institutional and geographical realities of smaller nations shape their choices about digital infrastructure, global platforms and technology governance, and which of those choices a small state can genuinely make.
- PaperThe Amplified Sovereignty Paradox · 2026
- ArticleLessons for Asia from Europe's digital sovereignty offensive · GovInsider, 12 Feb 2026
AI governance on local terms
Why governments should adapt international AI principles to their institutional capacity, public accountability and local circumstances, rather than importing regulatory models unchanged.
- SessionShape, Don't Inherit · World AI Regulation Summit, London, 5 Nov 2026
- ArticleArchitecting AI Governance for Small States: Why Resilience Trumps Velocity · aiecosystem.mv, 19 Dec 2025
Digital citizenship and human agency
Why digital identity and digital public infrastructure must preserve citizen choice, accountability and trust, rather than measuring success by adoption alone.
- PaperCitizen-as-a-Platform · 2026
- ProjecteFaas national digital identity · About, 2019 – 2023
Talks and international forums
Festival of Innovation 2026, GovInsider
Spoke on the opening panel, on governing through uncertainty, and recorded a filmed interview with GovInsider.
3rd International Conference on Technology, Humanities and Management (ICTHM 2025), Zikura International College
Gave a keynote on AI in the workplace, from automation to augmentation, and joined the conference panel.
19th Internet Governance Forum, United Nations
Spoke in a main session on protecting internet infrastructure and access in times of crisis and conflict.
3rd World Emerging Security Forum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea
Joined the roundtable on security in an AI-driven world, moderated by Xue Lan of Tsinghua University.
On stage and in the room
ICTHM 2025, Fuvahmulah City, Maldives 
ITU Kaleidoscope 2026, Geneva 
5th National HR Convention and EXPO 2025, Malé 
Path to Cutting-Edge Governance, Baku, 2022 
Festival of Innovation 2026, Singapore 
International Conference on Social Research & Innovation, Malé, 2026 
19th Internet Governance Forum, Riyadh, 2024 
Maldives Ocean Hackathon 2023, Malé 
AP-IS Steering Committee, UN ESCAP, Bangkok, 2022 
3rd World Emerging Security Forum, Seoul, 2023
For event organisers: a short biography, an introduction and photographs
Introduction
Mohamed Shareef helped build the Maldives' digital government, including as Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology. He researches digital sovereignty and AI governance from the perspective of small island states.
Biography
Mohamed Shareef is a Maldivian digital government practitioner and researcher. For more than two decades he helped build the Maldives' digital state, from the Government Network to the eFaas national digital identity, rising from systems administrator to Chief Information Officer and later serving as Permanent Secretary and Minister of State. He chaired the UN ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Steering Committee. His research examines digital sovereignty, AI governance and institutional accountability in small island states; his paper on the amplified sovereignty paradox took first place at ITU Kaleidoscope 2026. He leads project governance at Maldives Islamic Bank.
Photographs
Headshot (WebP, 480 × 600) · Speaking photograph (WebP, transparent, 1191 × 1321). Larger files on request.
