With the nomination deadline extended to 20 January 2006, companies and business associations around the world have an extra few weeks to enter projects for the 2006 World Business Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Awards, presented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), honour corporate contributions to local, national or global efforts at ending poverty and hunger and fostering truly sustainable development.

Award recipients will be acknowledged for the innovative and productive ways they are advocating for or advancing any one of the eight Millenium Development Goals or the goals as a package. The goals, which have a target date of 2015, include the eradication of extreme hunger, universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and the reduction of child mortality.

The 2006 World Business Awards will be chaired by former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson. They will be presented at a special ceremony on 10 May 2006 in New York, during the 14th meeting of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 14).

The World Business Awards programme grew out of the ICC-UNEP World Summit Business Awards for Sustainable Development Partnerships that were presented during the World Summit for Sustainable Development Summit in Johannesburg in 2002. They were followed by the highly successful 2004 World Business Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals, chaired by Lord Holme of Cheltenham and presented during the ICC 35th World Congress in Marrakesh in June 2004.

Nomination forms for the Awards and all details including the objectives, the nomination procedure and the selection criteria are available at:  www.iccwbo.org/awards .