Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – The official opening of the Conference of Commanders of the American Armies took place in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. Chaired by the Commander of the Brazilian Army, Army General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, the ceremony is part of Cycle XXXV of the Conference of American Armies (CEA), an international body that has existed since 1960 and brings together armies from the three Americas, as well as participants from other continents and international bodies. The Brazilian Army is at the head of the CAA for the 2022-2023 biennium.
The opening ceremony was attended by commanders and representatives of armies from 21 countries, including member and observer nations, as well as the Inter-American Defense Board. According to the commander of the Brazilian Army, the balance of the work coordinated by Brazil was positive. “All countries have challenges. There’s the climate issue, humanitarian aid, things that happen in different parts of the world. It was very good to exchange experiences. Initiatives like Operation Paraná III, which involved several participants in this Conference, were very successful and open channels. The mission was well accomplished”.
General Dutra, Secretary General of the CAA, stressed that the cycle chaired by the Brazilian Army was fundamental for the Conference. “The CAA has grown in importance. This body, whose main objective is regional integration, had the participation of more than 20 delegations, out of 29, in all six specialized meetings held in this last cycle. Throughout the two-year period, Brazil has contributed decisively to the conference’s rise to prominence among American nations”.
The Conference of Commanders is attended by the following delegations: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal and the Inter-American Defense Board.
Program
On the 7th, the Plenary Meeting of the Commanders of the American Armies will take place, during which the inclusion of the Portuguese Army will be voted on and agreements and protocols drawn up during the current cycle will be approved, as well as changes to the Conference regulations. In the afternoon, there will be bilateral meetings between the commanders and representatives of each army.
On November 8, the members of the CAA will accompany the operational readiness of the troops of the 1st Army Division in Vila Militar. Afterwards, the commanders will travel to the Agulhas Negras Military Academy, in Resende (RJ), where the ceremony to hand over the presidency of the Conference of American Armies from the Brazilian Army to the Mexican Army will take place.
Conference of American Armies
The CAA is a discussion forum that identifies issues of mutual interest in the field of Defense, increases cooperation and integration between the Armies, determines concrete initiatives to improve interoperability and deals with issues established by common agreement. The CAA has 29 members, including armies and international organizations.
Cycle XXXV had the obligatory theme “The contribution of the Conference of American Armies to the process of transformation and preparation of the ‘Army of the Future’ to expand cooperation and integration in facing the challenges and threats that could affect the security and stability of the American Continent”.
To discuss the issue, the CAA organized six specialized conferences, under the responsibility of different countries, to address issues such as interoperability, army transformation processes, cyber security and defense, modernization processes and doctrine development, among others.
Cycle XXXV also included a Combined Exercise focusing on humanitarian aid in the event of a natural disaster, Operation Paraná III, in the region of Foz do Iguaçu (PR). Planned in 2022 and carried out on the ground in 2023, the operation involved troops from the CEA’s member armies.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***