With the establishment of the Vice Ministry of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, Panama is redefining its strategy in this area to address global challenges and the changes brought about by the new international development agenda based on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, which commenced in 2016 and concludes in 2030.

The first meeting of the National Cooperation Commission was held in August 2019, with the primary aim of reaffirming the commitment to unify efforts. The second session of the National Commission for International Cooperation, titled “Promoting the National Cooperation Plan 2030,” took place in April 2023, enhancing dialogue and continuing the direct exchange of information with the International Technical Cooperation Units (UCTI) of our national institutions.

Within the framework of the joint commissions, various bilateral cooperation programmes were established, including with Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Spain, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, resulting in a total of 96 approved projects.

Regarding training cooperation, the Directorate of International Cooperation (DCI) received, in April 2024, a workshop on good practices and experiences in International Cooperation from the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI). This event provided an opportunity for AUCI to present the progress in South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation achieved in Uruguay.

Additionally, specialists from United Nations agencies in Panama, along with its Resident Coordinator, Ana Patricia Graça, offered the first in a series of workshops on Results-Based Management to 20 government institutions. This initiative aims to strengthen the capacities of technical staff in formulating and managing international cooperation projects.

The Ibero-American Integrated Data System on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SIDICSS) consolidated the information of 53 projects, programs, and specific initiatives in which Panama participates, under the modalities of South-South and Triangular cooperation, involving Ibero-American and developing countries as both providers and recipients of cooperation.

To train officials from various public entities and emphasise the importance of registering the country’s cooperation information in SIDICSS, as well as to gain in-depth knowledge about the work carried out by this agency in systematising the information for the Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Ibero-America, training sessions were conducted. These sessions, held between December 2023 and February 2024, were offered in both virtual and face-to-face formats, focusing on “Supporting Panama’s Participation in the Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Ibero-America.”

Between 2020 and 2021, Panama participated in 118 cooperation initiatives. Most of them were implemented in the framework of Bilateral SSC (48%), followed by Regional SSC programs (41%) and Triangular Cooperation actions and/or projects with other stakeholders (11%). Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic stand out among its main partners. Panama mainly participated in these exchanges as the recipient, especially in Bilateral SSC actions and projects (45 out of 57) and in most Triangular Cooperation initiatives (10 out of 13). The exercise of this role resulted in capacity strengthening in topics related to Health, Disaster Management and Strengthening institutions and public policies. Meanwhile, as a provider, it was able to support other countries’ experience in Health and Peace, public and national security and defense, among other sectors, through 10 initiatives.