What is the CDMA?
The Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas is an international multilateral political forum directed and integrated by the Defense Ministers of the Americas, with authorization from the governments of their respective countries.
It promotes mutual knowledge and exchange of ideas at a Ministers level in the scope of hemispheric defense and security.
How is the CDMA organized?
- Country Members Assembly
- Working Committees
- Pro-Témpore Secretariat
Background
- It was created in 1995 with the objective of establishing a forum for debate and exchange of experiences among the Ministers of Defense of the Americas. 34 countries attended the first meeting.
- In accordance with the mandate of Country Members at the Ministerial Meeting in Cartagena de Indias (1998), the coordinating body of the Conference is the Pro-Tempore Secretariat under the responsibility of the country hosting the next Conference of Ministers.
- All countries in the Americas have the right to become members of the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas upon submitting an application and expressing a commitment to comply with the "Williamsburg Principles" agreed upon in 1995.
What countries comprised the XIII CDMA?
Past venues
- I CDMA, 24-26 July 1995, Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A.
- II CDMA, 7-9 October 1996, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.
- III CDMA, 29 November – 3 December 1998, Cartagena, Colombia.
- IV CDMA, 16-21 October 2000, Manaus, Brazil.
- V CDMA, 18-22 November 2002, Santiago, Chile.
- VI CDMA, 16-21 November 2004, Quito, Ecuador.
- VII CDMA, 1-5 October 2006, Managua, Nicaragua.
- VIII CDMA, 2-8 September 2008, Banff, Canada.
- IX CDMA, 22-25 November 2010, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
- X CDMA, 8-11 October 2012, Montevideo, Uruguay.
- XI CDMA, 12-14 October 2014, Arequipa, Peru.
- XII CDMA, 10-12 October 2016, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Ad-Hoc Groups
During 2017-2018 Cycle, Five working groups (Ad-Hoc) will be organized as follows:
- Development of Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism on Search and Rescue.
- The evolution of the Role of the Armed Forces in Terms of Defense and Security.
- Policy of Hemispheric Defense and Security Cooperation: Emergency Humanitarian Assistance.
- The Role of Security and Defense Forces in relation to Environmental Protection and Climate Resilience.
- The Gradual incorporation of Gender Perspective as a Cross-Cutting Priority in Defense Policy.
Meaning of the seal of the XIII Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas.