From November 6 to 10, 2023, Brigadier General Marco Antonio Álvarez Reyes, President of the Council of Delegates of the Inter-American Defense Board, participated in the XXXV Cycle of the Conference of American Armies (CEA), held in the city of Rio from Janeiro, Brazil.
The Opening Ceremony of the event was attended by 19 delegations from various CAA member armies, as well as three observers (Portugal, Spain and the IADB). In a speech delivered during the Plenary, the President of the Council of Delegates highlighted the importance of the CEA to strengthen security and defense integration among its member countries and to constantly improve multidimensional communication and cooperation procedures, while reinforcing the commitment of the IADB to expand cooperation between institutions in common causes, in order to confront the various threats that currently arise on the world stage.
The importance of the support of the Armies of the American Countries for the fulfillment of the IADB Mission was also highlighted, particularly with regard to compliance with the OAS Charter in its four pillars: Democracy, Human Rights, Security and Development. , with main emphasis on the Security pillar.
The CEA, as an international military organization, seeks to promote integration between the Armies of America and enable significant achievements, such as the development of a permanent exchange of information and experiences on matters of common interest in the field of Defense; strengthen integration and collaboration between the American armies, through the dissemination of military culture and national values; and the promotion of unity and the strengthening of inter-American ties of friendship, increasing mutual trust between the Armies of the continent.
Each CEA Conference cycle is guided by a mandatory central theme, approved by the participants of the previous cycle. In 2023, the approved topic was “The contribution of the Conference of American Armies in the process of transformation and preparation of the 'Army of the Future' for the expansion of cooperation and integration to face the challenges and threats that may affect security and stability of the American continent.”
