Topic: 2026 – Proliferation of Ballistic Missiles
Country: Panama
Delegate Name: Liliana Villarreal
Disarmament & International Security Committee (DISEC)
Panama
Proliferation of Ballistic Missiles
Liliana Villarreal
Ballistic Missiles (BM’s) have been used since the end of WW2 with the V-2, and are defined as a rocket-propelled, self guiding weapon system (nuclear, chemical) that uses gravity to fall to its target. They enter space upon launch, which makes them difficult to defend against. Range is 200 mi to 3,400 mi (intercontinental). The entire world is at threat while BM’s are legal. They have the ability to kill millions, and set the world into war.
31 total countries have reported having BM’s in their possession, and the last known use was on January 30th, 2026. A Russian ballistic missile strike damaged warehouse facilities of a civilian manufacturer in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. There have been two previously created documents to put an end to the proliferation of ballistic missiles.
Panama is a neutral country, due to its land harboring the Panama Canal which is used by all countries for passage through the Americas. It does not currently possess any Ballistic Missiles, nor there is any plan to harbor any. Panama is currently a part of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) created by the United Nations. It was signed on Sept. 20, 2017 declaring that it is a completely nuclear-free zone.
Due to the Panama Canal being a vital passage for many country’s economies (imports/exports), Panama would be a target that could influence many other countries if the canal was bombed by a Ballistic Missile. It would be a strategic move to bomb the canal that would affect millions of people and many countries.
As of 2025-2026, Panama has not made any direct moves in the spread of eliminating ballistic missiles. In 2022, Panama became a part of the 1540 UN committee, which is a subcommittee of the UN Security Council. It was established due to the 1540 Amendment, which aims to completely disarm all countries by starting with nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. The 1540 Amendment has been implemented in all the ways it can be and there has been progress documented, but full compliance with the amendment is predicted to take years.
Previously created documents to stop the rapid increase of BM’s made and used include the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) of 1987, and the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation of 2002. The MTCR was an informal understanding of limiting proliferation, containing a list of technologies it applied to, and all the responsibilities of preventing the proliferation of BM’s. The Hague Code of Conduct was another informal document that called for signatories to report the number of missiles and space vehicles they had annually, along with the related policies. While most countries who follow the Hague Code of Conduct are compliant with all of its requirements, there is no verification process nor any consequences for giving false information.
While Panama has been a part of other treaties they are still active in, they haven’t had any recent treaties they have expanded on.
One solution to the proliferation of ballistic missiles that Panama would support is the complete eradication of the use of nuclear ballistic missiles. While this is a lofty goal, it would be a step toward the idea of complete disarmament of the world. Using the TPNW, and spreading the ideas it contains, solutions to problems that would use ballistic missiles could be negotiated, and be avoided.
Representatives from Panama could enter other countries and spread the word about the TPNW and the benefits of it to world peace. As a sort of incentive, Panama can use their canal as leverage, saying that all countries that use the Panama Canal have to be nuclear-free zones, along with not transporting any kind of weapon through the canal. Using the canal as transportation for weapons is a violation of the country’s pledge of being a weapons-free country.
As a neutral country, Panama is urging all countries to follow their lead in being nuclear-free-zones, and the eradication of the use of ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles, and specifically nuclear ballistic missiles, are causing huge problems today. They affect millions of innocent lives, and could be stopped fairly easily if a global agreement could be reached. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) should be spread to all countries, and at the very least should be known to all countries. The proliferation of ballistic missiles needs to be stopped, and it needs to happen now.
