UN Helps Panama Strengthen
Maritime Security To Curb Illicit Trade
In an effort to strengthen maritime security
in Central America, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Panama
today launched a joint programme intended to
prevent illicit and counterfeit goods from
entering markets through sea ports.
The programme includes the launch by UNODC
of the Centre of Excellence on Maritime
Security in Panama City and the opening of a
regional office for Central America, Cuba
and the Dominican Republic, with financial
support from the Panamanian Government.
The centre will help identify threats to
maritime security and serve as a resource of
expertise, training, data collection and
analysis. UNODC’s new operational hub in
Panama City will also allow the organization
to provide more effective advisory services
to countries in the region.
The flow of narcotics from the Andean
countries to North America is a key concern.
“Seventy per cent of crimes in Central
America are directly linked to drug
trafficking,” said Juan Carlos Varela,
Panama’s Foreign Minister. “This reinforced
focus on maritime security will help the
governments in the region to tackle the
common threat of organized crime,” he said.
Most of the world’s trade is carried out in
shipping containers, meaning that containers
are also the main delivery methods for
illicit goods, UNODC’s Deputy Executive
Director Francis Maertens said during a
visit to the port of Balboa in Panama.
“Better container security can raise the
risks and lower the benefits to organized
crime,” said Mr. Maertens.
Less than two per cent of the 420 million
shipping containers used globally every year
are inspected, creating major opportunities
for drug traffickers and smugglers to
conceal illicit cargo, according to UNODC.
Improving container security in Panama’s
ports is a priority since more than 11
million containers pass through the Panama
Canal every year.
Since joining UNODC’s World Customs
Organization Global Container Control
Programme last year, Panama has
significantly increased the number of
seizures of illicit goods hidden in
containers.
“Thanks to improved intelligence and
information-sharing, in just seven months
Panamanian authorities have managed to
confiscate 146 containers transporting drugs
and counterfeit goods, with a value of over
$20 million,” said Mr. Maertens.
Highly sophisticated concealment methods are
part of the problem, but law enforcement
agents at ports are often hampered by
inter-institutional mistrust, corruption,
complex port processes, lack of resources
and dangerous conditions.
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