Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. Dicarlo
Remarks to the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation on the occasion of the Bicentennial of the 1826 Amphictyonic Congress of Panama
Panama City, 22 June 2026
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Muy buenos días.
It is a great honour to join you on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the city where, two centuries ago, leaders gathered to imagine a future founded on cooperation among nations.
I thank the Government and people of Panama for bringing together leaders from across the Americas to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress.
Two hundred years ago, delegates met in this city with ambitious and noble objectives: to advance dialogue and cooperation among newly independent states and to pursue peace, solidarity and collective action through shared principles.
Eighty years ago, much of the global community enshrined many of the same principles in the Charter of the United Nations.
The aspirations that brought together the emerging nations of the Americas endure today: the conviction that we are stronger when we work together, the understanding that peace requires dialogue, and the recognition that common challenges demand common responses.
Yet the world in which we pursue these aspirations has changed profoundly.
The international community faces growing tensions and deepening divisions.
Armed conflicts are multiplying.
Trust among nations is under strain.
Climate change, inequality, organized crime and rapid technological transformation increasingly transcend borders and affect every society.
No country can address these challenges alone.
The vision of the Amphictyonic Congress is as timely today as ever.
Excellencies,
The countries of the Americas have long demonstrated the value of regional cooperation, contributing important ideas to international law, diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
In this region, multilateralism is not an abstract concept. Your successful experiences in cooperation to make and build peace are an example to the world.
As we commemorate this bicentennial, we also look to the future.
We pay tribute to those who gathered in Panama two centuries ago by renewing our commitment to dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful resolution of differences.
In this endeavor, the United Nations will always be at your side
Thank you.
Gracias.
