On March 22, 2018, the Perry Center welcomed a group of delegates from across the Western Hemisphere for the ad-hoc working group: The Evolving Role of the Armed Forces in Defense Security in preparation for the XIII Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA). The XIII Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas is a multilateral political forum that promotes the exchange of defense and security ideas between Defense Ministers in the Americas.

This working group session at the Perry Center is one of several preparatory sessions for the upcoming conference to be held in Mexico City, Mexico. Topics discussed during the five ad hoc working groups for the 2017-2018 cycle of the XIII CDMA include: emergency humanitarian support; inclusion of gender perspectives; environmental protection and climate resilience; changing role of the Armed Forces; and search and rescue.