Summary.
The bill proposes to regulate professional practice in foreign policy and bilateral and multilateral international relations in the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá). Practice would require Panamanian nationality, a university degree issued by the University of Panama (Universidad de Panamá) or another domestic or foreign university recognized by it, completion of a seminar, and a certificate of professional qualification. Applications would be submitted to the Technical Council for the International Relations Profession (Consejo Técnico de la Profesión de Relaciones Internacionales). International organizations and diplomatic missions accredited in Panama (Panamá) that hire local staff for international relations positions would have to hire Panamanian professionals. The bill describes analytical, advisory, research, and international cooperation work and allows practice in the public, private, and academic sectors and in international organizations.
Public institutions would define the duties of these positions in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio Economía y Finanzas). Duties performed by members of the Diplomatic and Consular Career Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) would remain governed by special rules. The bill creates the Technical Council for the International Relations Profession, with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of Panama, the National College of Career Diplomats, Adica, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas). The university representative may come from the Department of International Relations (Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales) or the School of International Relations (Escuela de Relaciones Internacionales) of the Faculty of Public Administration (Facultad de Administración Pública). The council may obtain professional and technical support and request outside assistance.
The Technical Council (Consejo Técnico) would issue certificates, set the qualification procedure, and adopt procedures for receiving complaints, investigating malpractice, and imposing sanctions. It could also suspend certificates temporarily or indefinitely, report irregular practice to competent authorities, and adopt its internal rules. Certification would be mandatory for professionals who obtain their university degree after the proposed law takes effect. The bill sets duties of probity, transparency, honesty, and integrity. Public sector professionals outside the Diplomatic and Consular Career Service would be governed by the Administrative Career Law (Ley de Carrera Administrativa); each institution's position manual would specify their duties.
Professionals already practicing would retain their positions, rights, and prerogatives under applicable labor and special rules. They could seek certification by presenting their degree through an abbreviated procedure established by the Evaluating Technical Council (Consejo Técnico Evaluador). The bill repeats the coordination requirement and diplomatic exception, then establishes a salary scale based on merit, education, and experience for public sector professionals, with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would regulate the scale based on agreements with professional associations and the State's financial and budgetary capacity; current position holders would be classified under it. Vacant public positions would be filled progressively by international relations professionals. The bill designates 22 del de junio as the profession's day. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) would issue implementing regulations, and the proposed law would take effect six months after promulgation.
The content concerns the named public institutions, international organizations, diplomatic missions, universities, professional associations, and public and private employers of international relations specialists.
What it proposes.
- Practice of the international relations profession.
- Education and professional certification requirements.
- Professional oversight, complaints, and sanctions.
- Public sector positions and salary scale.
Who it would affect.
- International relations professionals in the public and private sectors.
- Public institutions with international relations positions.
- International organizations and diplomatic missions accredited in Panama that hire local staff.
- Applicants for professional certification.
Key points.
- Professional practice would require Panamanian nationality, a recognized university degree, an approved seminar, and certification; international organizations and diplomatic missions hiring local staff for these positions would have to hire Panamanian professionals.Art. 2
- Public institutions would define the duties of these positions in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, subject to an exception for the Diplomatic and Consular Career Service.Art. 4
- A technical council with institutional and professional association representatives would oversee the profession.Art. 5
- The Technical Council would issue and could suspend certificates, handle complaints, investigate malpractice, impose sanctions, and report irregular practice.Art. 6
- Certification would be mandatory for those receiving a degree after the law takes effect; current practitioners could use an abbreviated procedure and would retain their employment rights.Arts. 7-10
- A salary scale based on merit, education, and experience would apply to public sector professionals outside the Diplomatic and Consular Career Service.Art. 12
- Vacant public positions would progressively be filled by international relations professionals under the proposed law and its implementing regulations.Art. 13
- The Executive Branch would issue implementing regulations through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the proposed law would take effect six months after promulgation.Arts. 15-16