A beautiful day in Mauritius
Olivier Alais is a program coordinator at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where he leads efforts to embed human rights into technical standardization processes. A computer engineer by training, he brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, development, and human rights.
Prior to joining the ITU, Olivier served as digital task team leader at the French Development Agency (AFD), where he helped design national digital infrastructure programs. He also led an online protection initiative for civil society organizations in developing countries, developed a micro-insurance health platform in Thailand, contributed to the creation of a federal digital social security system in Mexico, and supported the development of e-government tools in Liberia.
His fieldwork includes launching community-based internet radio stations in northern Mali and establishing the first rural computer centers in Burkina Faso, where he also taught at university.
Olivier was a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and is currently a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School for the 2025–2026 academic year. His work continues to focus on bridging technical innovation with inclusive, rights-based approaches to digital transformation.
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