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This inscription speaks to the experiences of English-speaking West Indians during their voluntary migration to Panama, which took place not long after the granting of emancipation to those who were enslaved and lived in these colonies. The constituent elements of this nomination reside in several countries including: Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, St. Lucia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and are as different as the circumstances and events which produced them.

When the French commenced the construction of the Canal in 1880 an immediate need was access to a large pool of labourers. This requirement and the desire of many West Indians to improve their lot encouraged many individuals from several British Caribbean territories to migrate to Panama. The migration of West Indians continued into the period when the United States assumed responsibility to construct the Canal. Once the Canal was opened to shipping in 1914, West Indian migration to Panamá ceased.

More than 50,000 Anglo-West-Indian labourers, migrated to the Isthmus of Panama some of whom were followed by their wives. For these thousands of West Indians voluntary separation from home and family represented an unimaginable promise of economic improvement. The sheer number of persons who immigrated to Panamá forced the colonial authorities to regulate how many people were allowed to go to Panamá to help build the Canal. Chief among these reasons was the vested interests of the plantocracy to have an assured labour pool to work their land holdings. At the same time, the colonial governments of the region were keen to have the appearance of being benevolent through the establishment of a legislative framework in which the rights of their "chattels" were protected. Among the steps taken by the colonial authorities in this regard was the creation of registers such as Reports and Police Reports which documented and recorded the movement of people migrating from the region and out of the legal and political control of the colonial authorities.

The mass migration of British West Indians from the purview of authorities of the British Empire and their relocation to Panamá is presented and intimately recorded in these documents. Highlighted are the daily lives, nature of the working conditions and other aspects of the lives of West Indians who went to help build the Canal. 

Bank Deposit Ledgers include information on thousands of depositors who deposited "Panamá Money" into the Savings Bank. Essentially, Deposit Ledgers represent documentation on a new found economic freedom that can be directly attributed to the West Indian/Panama experience. Canal Zone stamps were issued to facilitate communication between Canal labourers and their relatives. Philatelic and photographic documents provide evidence of the burgeoning communication exchanges between those who were in Panama and their families and friends at home.

Additionally, the images archived in various media within the nomination are invaluable records of the excavation and construction of the Canal. These images also narrate the lived experiences of those who contributed to the construction of the Canal, which has made and continues to make a significant impact on international shipping. The engineering required to construct the Canal causes it to be considered one of the greatest technological feats of the world.

Inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register and on the Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2011, the nomination was presented by The Barbados Department of Archives; The Barbados Museum and Historical Society; The Jamaica Archives and Records Department; Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá (Republic of Panamá); National Archives (Saint Lucia); National Archives and Registration, Archives II and The George A. Smathers Library, University 
of Florida (United States of America); Mrs. Primrose Mallet (Somerset, United Kingdom).