The Latin American Business Council (CEAL) has pledged its continued commitment to promoting regional integration, developing projects to reduce poverty and disseminating practices that strengthen business ethics and transparency.

During CEAL's 28th plenary assembly, the president of that Panama City-based network of Latin American business leaders, Camilo Atala, and experts from the public and private sectors stressed the importance of free-trade agreements for the region's development.

"The organization has a crucial role to play as an agent of change in facilitating the promotion of bolder projects, albeit without leaving aside issues such as human rights, gender, poverty, environment and health," Atala, whose tenure as CEAL International president was extended for another year, said.

Mexican former President Felipe Calderon attended last week's gathering in Los Cabos, Mexico, and stressed the importance of promoting Latin American integration and achieving the region's goals through concrete private-sector strategies.

CEAL, which is currently made up of more than 500 corporate leaders from 20 Latin American countries, was founded 28 years ago to stimulate the active participation of the private sector in the socio-economic development of its member countries, regional integration and educational cohesion.