Panama
Panama is an example to be followed by other States, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to being party to a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) treaty.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2019) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1977) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 1999) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1971, Tlatelolco) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1984) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2001) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1974) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1998) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | Yes |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 4 (27%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | No |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | Yes (Revised) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Panama reiterated ‘its firm commitment to nuclear disarmament, the universalization of the [TPNW], and the total prohibition of weapons of mass destruction’. It warned that ‘a nuclear conflict, even a limited one, would affect the atmosphere and unleash a nuclear winter, drastically reducing the global temperature and causing mass famines due to the destruction of crops and ecosystems’.1
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Panama highlighted the 80th anniversary of ‘the first use of nuclear weapons against civilian populations in August 1945—a cruel and inhumane act that has left unforgettable scars’. It reiterated its call for all ‘States that have not yet acceded to the TPNW to do so in accordance with the procedures and timelines established by their respective laws’.2
At a high-level event on 26 September 2025 marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Panama emphasized that the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons is the only guarantee against their use.3
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Panama said that it ‘is closely following, with great concern, the nuclear threat and risk posed by States possessing nuclear weapons, and the potential confrontation between major powers, which endangers the security of all humanity, human rights, and global peace’. It reiterated its call for States to join the TPNW.4
Panama co-sponsored the 2025 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which welcomed the Treaty’s entry into force and called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve, or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.5
Recommendations
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Panama should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Panama should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.