According to the Ministry of Environment, the meeting will take place from June 7 to 15, 2028, in the Panamanian capital. It is expected to bring together approximately 1,500 representatives from more than 170 countries, as well as scientists, specialists, Indigenous peoples, environmental organizations, and private sector representatives.

Panama City’s official designation as the host city was formalized through the signing of an agreement between Minister of Environment Juan Carlos Navarro and Ramsar Convention Secretary General Musonda Mumba.

Panama has been a party to the Convention since 1989 and has six Ramsar sites recognized as wetlands of international importance: Panama Bay, the Gulf of Montijo, San San Pond Sak, Punta Patiño, Damani-Guariviara, and the Matusagaratí Wetland Complex.

These areas serve as biological corridors linking the biodiversity of North, Central, and South America; they act as breeding grounds for numerous fish and migratory bird species and play an essential role in regulating coastal hydrological processes.

Panama boasts a wide diversity of wetlands—including mangroves, estuaries, salt marshes, coastal lagoons, and freshwater wetlands.

Their location between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans enables them to fulfill strategic environmental functions such as coastal protection, carbon sequestration, water regulation, and biodiversity conservation.

Navarro stated that Panama’s selection as the host for COP16 recognizes the country’s efforts to protect these ecosystems and offers an opportunity to showcase nature-based solutions to the world.

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