First Panamanian organization to receive this international recognition
Panama City / Paris, November 20, 2025.
The Pro Eco Azuero Foundation has been awarded the UNESCO–Japan Prize for Education for Sustainable Development, becoming the first Panamanian organization to receive this prestigious international recognition granted to initiatives that transform realities through education and sustainability.
This historic distinction affirms Pro Eco Azuero’s role as one of Panama’s most influential conservation organizations. Founded in 2009, the foundation has become a national leader in community-based restoration, environmental education, and sustainable land management. Its long-term work across the Azuero Peninsula has positioned the organization as a trusted partner to rural communities, policymakers, and national institutions committed to protecting Panama’s biodiversity.
The award was presented at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, where Rossie Pope, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Sandra Vásquez, Executive Director of Pro Eco Azuero, were present on behalf of the organization.
A national model for community-led conservation
The jury highlighted the impact of the foundation’s flagship educational program, the Spider Monkey School Initiative, which for 15 years has worked in rural schools in Los Santos using education as a tool to restore ecosystems, protect the habitat of the Azuero spider monkey (an endemic and critically endangered species), and build a culture of conservation within historically cattle-ranching communities.
What began as a school-based program has expanded into one of Panama’s most successful community-led conservation movements. Pro Eco Azuero has trained teachers, supported youth leadership, restored degraded landscapes, and engaged ranchers and landowners in sustainable practices that balance livelihoods with ecological stewardship. Its work is widely regarded as a model for how conservation can be rooted in local values, scientific knowledge, and long-term trust-building.
During her remarks in Paris, Sandra Vásquez stated:
“This award is recognition of the leadership of the rural communities of Azuero. We began by educating children, and today we see families, women, ranchers, and university students transforming their land and caring for their forests. Conservation grows from those who love their territory.”
Sandra Vásquez, Executive Director of Pro Eco Azuero
With this international recognition, Pro Eco Azuero stands as a beacon of Panamanian leadership in sustainability, demonstrating how education, community empowerment, and national pride can accelerate conservation outcomes that resonate far beyond the Azuero Peninsula.
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