“The award grew within the last 10 years and we are working with UN-Habitat to promote the award and for this purpose we are launching an international campaign for the DIABP that spans across the world from Latin America to South East Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Australia and North America,” Sultan said.

“The Dubai International Award is growing in scope as we witness an ever increasing number of submissions during every cycle. This campaign will ensure that the award attracts quality entries that reflect existing initiatives and projects from all corners of the world that have helped improve the living conditions of people in their respective communities,” Sultan said, adding that the award attracted more than 2,500 submissions from over 140 countries in its five cycles since 1995.

He pointed out that in addition to the media campaign, more than 8,000 organisations, public and private institutions, NGOs and associations from around the world have been invited to participate in the sixth cycle of the award. The last date for accepting submissions for the award is March 31, 2006 and the submissions can be made to Dubai Municipality or to UN-Habitat, the co-sponsor of the award or to any of the award's 29 international partners around the world.

Sultan praised the role of the UN-Habitat and the international partners of the award for helping in not only promoting the DIABP but also working closely with the municipality in managing and running the award as well as handling submissions received in each cycle and validating them.

“At the close of the submission deadline, our partners and the UN-Habitat will compile all the received submissions for the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprising experts in the field to meet and review all the entries and select the best 48 of them for the International Jury to select the winning 12 awards, 10 for Best Practices and 2 for Best Practices Transfers,” Sultan explained, adding that complete information on the award are available on the DIABP website www.dubai-award.dm.gov.ae as well as the Habitat Best Practice database www.bestpractices.org.

So far 46 organisations from Angola, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands Palestine, the Philippines, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, the US, and Uzbekistan have won the award during its last five cycles in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004.

Established in 1995 by a decree from His Highness Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the award aims at encouraging, recognising and enhancing awareness of outstanding and sustainable achievements in improving the quality of life in urban and rural settlements. The award is open to all organisations and individuals from governments, local authorities, international non-governmental and community-based organisations, the private sector and other representatives of civil society.