The Conference of American Armies (CAA) is a Military Organization of an international nature composed of and led by Armies from the American continent, with the authorization of their respective countries, whose aims, structure and functions are found in these regulations.
The CAA, regardless of its name, is much more than an event; it is a stable and independent institutionalized organization. This stems chiefly from its aim, its institutional structure, the scope and repercussions if the decisions taken at its core, of having regulations that direct its action and, basically, because of the prestige achieved throughout its long history.
Was created in 1960 as an international forum of the Army Commander of the Occidental Hemisphere. Currently, it is ruled by the internal regulations approved by all the Member Commanders of the CAA.
Member Armies of the CAA: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States of America, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Trinidad y Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Observer Armies: Belize and Suriname.
Special Observers: Army of Spain, the National Border Service of the Republic of Panama and Army of Portugal.
Two Observer Military Organizations: Central American Armed Forces Conference (CFAC) and Inter-American Defense Board (JID)
The Army of Spain relishes the status of Special Observer since November of 2015 and the National Border Service of the Republic of Panama since November of 2021.
The American Armies may be admitted to the CAA as Members or Observers. The Military Organizations of the American continent may be admitted only as Observers. Non-American Armies, or national defense or security agencies from American countries without Armies, that meet the requirements of Art. 41 may be admitted only as Special Observers.
The CAA mainly consists of Armies, defined as those institutions of national defense belonging to a sovereign state of the continent whose existence is intended in corresponding legislation and whose missions are oriented in safeguarding the sovereignty and national defense, with a hierarchical and operational organization and suitable equipment.
The CAA is ruled by a process of two (2) years of Conferences/Specialized Armies supported from different armies that culminate with the Conference of Commanders of American Armies, its responsible to coordinate and approve all the activities of the CAA. Each cycle has a Mandatory Theme approved by the members of the Army Commanders of the previously cycle. The theme serves as a guiding vision for all the activities of the CAA during all the cycle.
