Panama Backs India’s UNSC Permanent Seat, Urges Global Governance Reform

Panama has thrown its weight behind India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, with Foreign Minister Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez declaring that the current international order no longer reflects present-day realities. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Martinez-Acha described India as ‘an emerging superpower’ and the world’s largest democracy, deserving a greater role in global decision-making. ‘Today’s world doesn’t reflect the circumstances of 80 years ago. India is an emerging superpower, is the biggest democracy in the world, and in our opinion, the world governance needs transformation to reflect the reality of today’s world,’ the minister said. He added that Panama ‘sees with good feelings and with strong support that India could become part of the Security Council’. Beyond India’s candidacy, Panama also advocated for broader reforms to make the UN more representative, including a permanent seat for Latin America and the Caribbean. ‘We need to balance, we need to create equilibrium in the United Nations,’ Martinez-Acha said, suggesting that expanded representation would enable the UN to respond more effectively to global crises. On counter-terrorism, the minister reiterated Panama’s zero-tolerance stance, stating, ‘There is no justification for terrorism—no religious justification, no political justification—and we stand next to India.’ He also warned of the dangerous nexus between terrorism and organized crime, particularly narcotrafficking, and called for security and intelligence cooperation. When asked about India’s candidature for a non-permanent UNSC seat for the 2028-29 term, Martinez-Acha said Panama would honour its existing international commitments before making a decision, while noting the positive energy India brings.

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