Institutional framework
Panama does not have a state agency permanently in charge of population and development issues. However, the Advisory Committee, regulated by Executive Decree n°132 of 2019, is the permanent inter-institutional coordination mechanism for population and development issues, as well as for the Montevideo Consensus. The Technical Secretariat of the Advisory Committee is the body in charge of the effective coordination of the broad set of State bodies involved in the mechanism. The forty-six entities that make up the coordination mechanism reflect a multisectoral approach that addresses the issues covered by the Montevideo Consensus from different perspectives. Among the areas highlighted are: justice and human rights; government innovation; culture; security; business; public services; social, sustainable and agricultural development. A special characteristic that emerges from the Panamanian coordination structure is the incorporation of population dynamics as a cross-cutting approach in the different areas of the purview of the numerous State bodies involved. In addition, the broad institutional participation described above demonstrates the objective of promoting harmonious and complementary action for the implementation and follow-up of the Montevideo Consensus at the different levels of the State machinery.
Participation
Currently, the Advisory Committee does not have clearly established forms of civil society participation.
The information on Institutionality comes from the regional survey for the update of the Virtual Platform for the follow-up of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development, implemented by the technical secretariat in 2023.