The Government of Panama has officially rejected recent statements made by Mark D. Wallace, Executive Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), circulated globally through media and emails, according to Autoridad Marítima de Panamá's release.
Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP), responsible for the Panama Ship Registry and governing the maritime sector, has removed over 650 vessels from its registry since 2019.
This action aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Panama’s efforts to combat terrorism financing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Government of Panama collaborates closely with the United States Government via its Embassy in Panama and direct communications with the U.S. Department of State concerning the ship registry and shared security interests.
In August 2019, Panama signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) titled “Registry Information Sharing” (RISC) alongside Liberia, Vanuatu, Marshall Islands, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Moldova.
The MOU mandates prompt notification among members when a flag registry cancels or sanctions a vessel due to sanctionable activity, to disclose identities of vessels or entities violating international maritime community interests.
Following this agreement, AMP issued Resolution No. 106-048-DGMM on August 19, 2019, establishing sanctions against vessels that deliberately disable the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system or the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
Recently, Panama implemented stringent requirements for ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operations involving Panama-flagged vessels.
These requirements comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards and MARPOL Convention regulations, reinforcing Panama’s commitment to maritime security and operational transparency.
In October 2024, Executive Decree No. 512 empowered AMP to unilaterally cancel the registration of vessels whose owners appear on international sanctions lists.
Since then, Panama has canceled 214 vessels, representing over 12 million Gross Registered Tons (GRT).
AMP also conducts investigations on compliance with IMO ratified conventions, due diligence, and United Nations Security Council Expert Panel recommendations.
Vessels violating national regulations face administrative and financial sanctions, including deregistration.
Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) / Panama Maritime Authority The AMP is the government agency responsible for managing the Panama Ship Registry and overseeing Panama’s maritime sector.
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that advocates for policies to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It campaigns for sanctions enforcement and works with governments and private companies to restrict Iran’s access to the global financial and commercial system.