Delegation From Represented By

The Republic of Panama University of Washington

Position Paper for the Economic and Social Council

The treaty topics before the Economic and Social Council are: Science, Technology, and Innovation for
Development and Strengthening International Cooperation in Addressing the Smuggling of Migrants. The Republic
of Panama is pleased and amply prepared to engage in meaningful dialogue with the nations of the world in
promoting technological development and innovation for the sustained economic, social, and environmental well-
being of Member States. Panama is also determined to provide effective solutions for the world's ongoing dilemma
of international migrant smuggling for the purpose of ameliorating international tensions and developing the
institutions necessary for long-term sustainability of global justice, productivity, and human rights.

I. Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) for Development

The Republic of Panama retains an unwavering commitment to the development and implementation of
innovative technology in order to bolster economic growth, encourage social development, and mitigate the
negative effects of human activities on the environment. Throughout the past ten years alone, Panama has increased
its GDP an average of 8% per year through key technological infrastructure investments and cooperation in
multinational trade agreements. In November 2011, Panama hosted the Third Meeting of Ministers and High
Authorities on Science and Technology, which adopted the Plan of Action of Panama – establishing working
groups to address the necessity for private and public investment in research, strengthening effective STI policy,
and promoting sharing of digital information. Panama also acknowledges the important role of public infrastructure
in the further implementation of broad innovations. In 2013, Panama sought the technical resources of the Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB) to expand the logistical capacity of the Panama Canal, decreasing trip lengths
by 5%, reducing shipping costs, contributing to shorter travel times, and reducing aggregate green house gas
(GHG) emissions. Through this collaboration, Panama adopted the National Logistics Plan, a comprehensive guide
detailing the goals and strategy of public-private partnerships in the innovation of logistics through state-of-the-art
technology for shipping and freight services. Panama has also fostered the development and growth of a diversified
sustainable energy sector through private incentives and public investments. In 2012, 49% of all domestic
electricity was produced in hydroelectric facilities, and in 2013, the Panamanian government concluded a series of
auctions for wind power projects, enhancing productive capacity by 283 MW by 2019. Panama also plans to open
its first natural gas power plant in 2018, offering wider access to cleaner fuel alternatives for domestic industries.

The Republic of Panama considers multinational cooperation to be fundamentally necessary to the growth
of the technology industry and its subsequent help for human development, as detailed in the Secretary General's
Report (E/2013/54). On October 31st, 2012, Panama entered into the United States-Panama Trade Promotion
Agreement (TPA), which, among other provisions, eliminated duties on the import of information technology
equipment, agricultural and construction equipment, aircraft and parts, medical and scientific equipment,
environmental products, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and agro-chemicals. Panama is also a signatory on the
Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which seeks to remove taxes and tariffs on information technologies.

Into the future, Panama seeks to prioritize the physical infrastructure and public education necessary for
information technologies and effective utilization therein, modeled from the recent research conclusions of the
OECD and World Bank for development in Vietnam. This requires that Panama continue to expand its own citizen
access to the internet, which is currently slightly less than 50% but has increased substantially from 1.6% in 2000.
This will allow private and public actors to easily access information for the implementation of more efficient
production methods and the growth of human capital. Panama supports measures to increase global access to
information and communications technologies (ICT), which must coincide with administrative foresight exercises
into the predicted vacuum of technical education in each Member State, as detailed in Science, technology and
innovation for development (E/RES/2015/27). To promote broader global access to necessary development
resources, Panama seeks to further improve the efficiency and capacity of inter-oceanic transport through the
Panama Canal, which serves to benefit both domestic and international productive capacity. As approved in the
Paris Agreement, Panama seeks to reduce its national carbon footprint and publicly invest further into clean energy
projects, offering private incentives and competitive auctions for wind and solar projects. Panama, though,
struggles to effectively balance between growth of industry/urbanization and maintenance of natural forests.
Therefore, Panama encourages continued access to technological information from multinational investment into
research and development (R&D), as described in the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development
(Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992 – AGENDA 21), to provide maximum resource extraction per unit land
mass. Through these collective efforts in education, infrastructure, and implementation of information systems,
Panama hopes to bolster human development and help to mitigate the root causes of mass refugee epidemics, as
detailed in Section II.

II. Strengthening International Cooperation in Addressing the Smuggling of Migrants

The smuggling of migrants is an extensive criminal enterprise that exploits the desperation of individuals
seeking to flee economic and/or social tension in their native lands. Panama recognizes the strong incentives for
both migrants and smugglers to engage in this practice and resolves itself to properly address the balance of
punitive action, preventive investment, and promotion of human rights. Paramount to the cessation of migrant
smuggling operations is the awareness of its interconnectedness with other multinational criminal enterprises,
including drug smuggling, sex trafficking, and organization of terrorism. Panama has recognized the high levels of
human trafficking within its borders and has instituted numerous national agendas combating it, including
reforming the Penal Code in 2007 to impose harsher punishments on human trafficking operatives and
implementing preventative measures. Panama has worked with the International Labor Organization (ILO) on
information campaigns relating to the exploitation of women and children and has also created task forces designed
to investigate the means by which criminal enterprises traffic sex slaves. In May of 2016, Panamanian authorities
made the decision to close its flow of migration at the Panama-Colombia border region, known as the Darién Gap,
in attempts to reduce the ease of irregular migration into and through Panama. This decision has met with dubious
results and has spurred Panama to seek addition resources in the fight against migrant smuggling, considered
below.

As a signatory on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Panama has sought to resolve the
extent of migrant smuggling with the priority of migrant safety and human treatment. Panama also created and
signed the Binational Border Security Plan, seeking to coordinate with Colombia in the monitoring of the southern
Darién Gap region for illegal migrations and criminal activities. Panama, geographically vulnerable to the
organization of illegal smuggling, was also proud to contribute to the adopted United Nations Protocol Against the
Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (2000), detailing the need for collaboration and collective
investigation to reduce the prevalence of dangerous smuggling practices. In June 2016, Panama also participated in
“Operation Mesoamerica”, in which authorities from Latin American countries worked to dismantle migrant
smuggling networks, resulting in the detainment of twenty-nine key criminal operatives.

Panama is determined to strengthen existing frameworks that can identify and curtail illegal migrant
smuggling in the international community. The fight against migrant smuggling must be handled on two primary
fronts: punitive and preventative. Member States concerned for national security must invest in additional security
personnel, on land and sea, and utilize effective communication technologies. These efforts must be supplemented
with high levels of coordination with other security teams and INTERPOL while adopting strict punishment for
violations in related markets, such as drug offenses. However, providing funding for security alone may serve the
cause of simply raising demand for more effective smugglers, raising prices and further exploiting individual
migrants while simultaneously exacerbating the danger associated with illegal smuggling. Therefore, Panama also
seeks to reduce the incentives for smugglers by encouraging Member States to promptly determine the most
effective way, if possible, to reduce barriers to national entry while maintaining necessary security, social stability,
and economic productivity. In addition, Panama supports the cooperation of Member States in the alleviation of
global poverty through infrastructure and technology investment in the forms of access to water, primary education,
electricity in high-risk regions, and appropriate training in their use and maintenance, which collectively reduces
the root incentives for mass refugee migration. Panama encourages member states to adopt measures designed to
protect witnesses to illegal smuggling behavior. Panama also requests the further exercise of the Strengthening of
International Cooperation in addressing the Smuggling of Migrants (E/2014/23) for the benefit of the Republic of
Panama by allocating personnel and/or resources for the identification and interception of smuggling routes and
organizations in the Darién Gap.