OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA’s CEO, Anders Dahlvig received The Oslo Business for Peace Award 2009 – presented and given for the first time in Oslo City Hall on May 14^th. The prize is awarded by The Business for Peace Foundation in Oslo. The aim of the prize is to inspire and encourage business leaders worldwide to do business in a responsible way.

The prize was presented by the chairman of The Award Giving Committee, Nobel laureate Professor A. Michael Spence.

“IKEA and Mr. Dahlvig have an extraordinary influence in the world. He has participated in building a business of a size and character where all stakeholders are winners; my children shopping there, the designers, the manufacturers and not least the employees who also seem to enjoy working there”, Professor Spence says.

Mr. Dahlvig from IKEA was one among seven selected Oslo Award Honourees, specially honoured for their ethical business practice. The other honourees were: Dr Mo Ibrahim from Sudan, Mohammed Jameel from Saudi Arabia, Zhengrong Shi from China, Jiang Jiangqing from China, Josephine Okot from Uganda and Jeffrey R. Immelt from USA. All honourees received special recognition during the ceremony in the City Hall of Oslo May 14^th.

“I know the recognition IKEA and I received will make our 130.000 employees very proud. The prize will inspire us to continue our work. Companies having a social ambition beyond maximising profits have a competitive advantage”, Anders Dahlvig states.

In connection with The Oslo Business for Peace Award ceremony, the third annual Business for Peace Summit was held in the City Hall of Oslo.

“I am proud and humble that so many outstanding personalities and experts gather in Oslo to discuss business ethics. Although business isn’t always perfect, it offers us examples that deserve to be recognized. There is an increasing number of business persons who show an ability to successfully grow their business in ways that are both socially responsible, ethically sound and financially sensible. The prize will be handed out on a yearly basis in Oslo from now on”, says Mr. Per L. Saxegaard, the founder of The Business for Peace Foundation.

For more information, and pictures, visit the Foundations web-page:

www.businessforpeace.no