PANAMA CITY, Panama – CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) signed a new collaboration agreement to continue supporting the Panamanian government in the transformation of the National Agricultural Institute (INA) into the Higher Technical Institute of Agroindustry of the Americas (ITSA).
This agreement marks a new step in the modernization of technical education in the Panamanian agroindustrial sector. Since 2023, CAF has provided financial and technical assistance to the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) to redesign INA’s educational offerings, strengthen its infrastructure, and connect it more closely with the productive sector and the local community.
With UNOPS support, the goal now is to boost the implementation of the institutional transformation plan, share progress, foster the regional exchange of best practices, and incorporate lessons learned into the process.
The signing ceremony was attended by Lucía Meza, CAF representative in Panama; Laura Klarreich, UNOPS representative; and vice minister Francisco Ameglio, as an honorary witness. They reaffirmed their joint commitment to quality, inclusive agricultural technical education that serves sustainable development.
With this initiative, CAF contributes to strengthening 20th-century skills, advancing its agenda for inclusive social well-being in the region and advancing toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.