Panama Canal Commission

The Panama Canal Commission was a joint U.S.-Panamanian agency that managed the Panama Canal. This agency was established as part of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed in 1977, which outlined the gradual transfer of canal operations to Panama. The commission replaced the previous Panama Canal Company and Canal Zone government.

The commission was controlled by a board with five U.S. and four Panamanian members. Initially, an American served as administrator and a Panamanian as assistant administrator. After 1990, these roles were reversed, with Panamanians taking leadership positions. The commission's responsibilities were adjusted to prepare for the final handover, transferring non-canal-related activities to Panama. At noon on December 31, 1999, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous agency of the Panamanian government, assumed complete management of the canal. The ACP is now responsible for the canal's administration, operation, conservation, maintenance, and modernization, as well as its water resources.123