What Happened
A recent interactive dialogue at the United Nations General Assembly brought together candidates for the next secretary-general and revived an important question for Panama: who holds the places where global decisions are made?
The exchange, held on April 21 and 22, featured four candidates — Michelle Bachelet, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan and Macky Sall — and highlighted concerns about how senior posts and staff positions are distributed across countries inside the UN system.
Panama’s Representation Inside the UN
Panama’s presence in the United Nations remains limited compared with other Latin American countries of similar size. The UN system employs more than 130,948 people, but only 408 are Panamanian nationals, about 0.3% of the total.
The number becomes even more significant when looking at international professional roles, where policy analysis, coordination and management decisions are concentrated. Only 54 Panamanians hold posts in the International Professional category. Most Panamanian staff members work in locally recruited categories: 99 as national professionals and 255 in general services.
That distribution matters because the lower-ranking operational roles keep the system running, while the professional international levels are more closely tied to influence and decision-making.
Why the Numbers Matter
Panama’s position is weaker than that of several regional peers. Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, Guatemala and Nicaragua all show higher numbers of nationals in the International Professional category.
The contrast is also visible inside the UN Secretariat. Out of 33,213 staff members, Panama had 50 nationals, and only 12 of them were in International Professional posts. In the broader international professional pool of 13,625, that places Panama in a formally underrepresented position.
Regional comparisons point to a similar pattern. Chile has 60 international professionals in the Secretariat, Uruguay 51, Ecuador 37, Haiti 36, Costa Rica 32, El Salvador 27, Jamaica 26 and Guatemala 22.
What This Means for Panama
The strongest influence inside the UN tends to sit in the P4, P5 and D1 levels, where staff supervise teams, draft policy and liaise with member states. Panama’s limited presence in those tiers suggests underrepresentation not only in numbers, but also in hierarchy and influence.
That has practical consequences for a small country seeking a larger voice in multilateral institutions. A more balanced UN would allow a wider range of national perspectives, including those from smaller and developing states, to shape global decisions and institutional networks.
The discussion also comes at a moment when the UN is considering reforms under the UN80 initiative, which aims to improve efficiency through reorganization and the possible relocation of functions and offices to more efficient operating centers.
For Panama, that creates both opportunity and risk. The country hosts a substantial UN footprint, including 872 staff members across different categories. Changes in office location or mandate could strengthen Panama’s role as a regional hub, or reduce its presence and affect related economic activity.
As the race for the next secretary-general moves forward, the choice will have consequences beyond symbolism. The incoming leader’s approach to staffing, geographic balance and institutional reform will help shape Panama’s place inside the UN system for years to come.