Informality and the Future of Work: Digital Transformation, AI and Platform Work

Kauna Ibrahim Malgwi is a Nigerian clinical psychologist, digital rights advocate, and founder of the Digital Rights and Mental Health Initiative Africa. A former content moderator, she works at the intersection of mental health, digital labour and workers’ rights, with a particular focus on the psychological impact of content moderation and the working conditions of data and technology workers. She also serves as Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the African Content Moderators Union – Nigeria Chapter. Recognized by TIME among the 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2024 and by BBC 100 Women, she advocates for ethical AI, decent working conditions and greater protection of workers’ mental health in the digital economy.

Mohamed Salah Frad is the Managing Director of United Gulf Financial Services – North Africa (UGFS-NA), a Tunisian investment and asset management company. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, asset management, financial and business restructuring, valuation, and investment strategy.

Before joining UGFS-NA in 2008, Mr. Frad served as Head of Research at MAC SA, where he led the research department and contributed to the listing of several companies on the Tunis Stock Exchange. He is a Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA) and holds an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and a master’s degree from IHEC Carthage.

Mr. Frad has also played an active role in Tunisia’s investment and entrepreneurship ecosystem. He has served as President of the Tunisian Association of Capital Investors (ATIC) and has been involved in initiatives supporting entrepreneurship, startup financing and the development of innovative businesses. His experience brings a private-sector and investment perspective to discussions on entrepreneurship, economic development, innovation and the future of work.

Professor Salwa Trabelsi is an economist and Professor at the Higher School of Economic and Commercial Sciences of Tunis (ESSECT), University of Tunis, where she is affiliated with the DEFI research unit. She is also the WTO Chair in Tunisia.

Her research focuses on economic development, economic growth, social inequality, regional development, employment, human capital, governance and the determinants of inclusive growth. Her recent research has addressed issues including skills and employment, educational and regional disparities, financial inclusion, digitalisation and the informal economy, as well as the relationship between economic development and sustainable growth.

Professor Trabelsi has published extensively in these areas and has contributed to discussions with international institutions and organisations, including the IMF, World Bank, ESCWA, the United States Institute of Peace and the Arab NGO Network for Development. Her recent work on digitalisation and the informal economy and on women’s vulnerabilities in the informal sector is particularly relevant to discussions on the future of work and the transition from informality to inclusion.

Sher Verick is Head of the Employment Strategies Unit in the Employment Policy Department of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. Prior to this position, he was Manager of the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme of the International Training Centre of the ILO and Deputy Director of the ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India. He has also worked for the UN and various research institutions in Europe and Australia. He holds a master’s degree in development economics from the Australian National University and a doctorate in economics from the University of Bonn. Since December 2004, he is a Research Fellow of the Institute for Labor Economics (IZA). He has published in a range of journals and has authored or edited a number of volumes, including the Transformation of Women at Work in Asia: An Unfinished Development Agenda (2016).

Taoufik Katrou is Secretary-General of the Tunisian National Social Security Fund (CNSS), with extensive experience in social security, social protection and public administration. He previously served as President and CEO of the National Pension and Social Welfare Fund (CNRPS), a position to which he was appointed in 2023.

Throughout his career, Mr. Katrou has held senior responsibilities within Tunisia’s social security institutions and has contributed to discussions on social protection, the sustainability of social security systems and access to social protection for workers. He has also represented Tunisian social security institutions in international forums, including the International Social Security Association (ISSA). His experience is particularly relevant to discussions on extending social protection coverage and strengthening inclusion for workers in vulnerable and informal forms of employment.