THE TRANSISTHMIC COLONIAL ROUTE OF PANAMA

On January 27, 2024, the Government of Panama delivered the final version of its proposal for the Trans-Isthmic Colonial Route of Panama to the World Heritage Center of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The World Heritage Center referred it to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for technical evaluation.

In accordance with UNESCO regulations, ICOMOS is the technical body that evaluates all proposals submitted to the World Heritage Center. In its report, approved internally on March 13, 2024 and delivered to the World Heritage Center, ICOMOS determined that the proposal for the Trans-Isthmian Colonial Route of Panama is incomplete, requiring at least eight (8) corrections.

The eight (8) rectifications were accepted by the World Heritage Center and incorporated into the preliminary agenda of the forty-sixth (46th) session of the World Heritage Convention, which was published on June 7, 2024. Said agenda, published in English, it can be obtained through the following link:

https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2024/whc24-46com-8B-en.pdf

It was not until June 7, 2024 when it was officially known that the World Heritage Center proposes that the file of the Trans-Isthmic Colonial Route of Panama, presented by the previous Government, be referred back to the State Party (Panama), in order that the Panamanian Government make the following rectifications before said proposal for the Trans-Isthmian Colonial Route can be inscribed on the World Heritage List:

Grant legal protection to the entire heritage route as a single entity;
Grant legal protection to the Camino de Cruces and the Camino Real as cultural heritage;
Complete, legally adopt and implement the Asset Impact Assessment mechanism;
Complete and implement a tourism and interpretation strategy for the entire nominated serial property;
Highlight and protect the role of residents, local communities, indigenous peoples and other groups in the