The ICCC Pioneer Award for outstanding achievement and contribution to world betterment was won by the Dubai Municipality in recognition for the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment. The late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, established this pioneering award to encourage and enhance awareness of the pressing need in urban and rural settlements for people everywhere. It is a tribute to the excellent work and dedication of the Director General of Dubai Municipality to Human Settlement improvements worldwide. The Dubai Declaration and Best Practices were central to the United Nations Conference for Human Settlements (HABITAT II Conference), and the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities, held in Istanbul in 1996.