The IAEA has the specific statutory function within the United Nations system of establishing standards of safety for the protection of health against exposure to ionizing radiation. As part of this mandate, the IAEA has issued Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, and has also established the Transport Safety Appraisal Service (TranSAS) to carry out, at the request of States, appraisals of the implementation of these regulations. The IAEA carried out such an appraisal in Panama from 9 to 20 June 2003. The appraisal addressed all relevant transport activities in Panama, both national and international, for all modes of transport, with special emphasis on the regulations and procedures applicable to the Panama Canal Authority with regard to the transport of radioactive material through the Panama Canal. This report summarizes the findings of the ten independent experts who participated in the appraisal.
