The decision to award this year’s peace prize to Mr Ahtisaari has been well received internationally. “A most well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize,” commented Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee chose Mr Ahtisaari on the basis of his international peace efforts on several continents over a period spanning more than three decades. Mr Ahtisaari was also President of Finland from 1994 to 2000.
“Fraternity between nations”
Throughout his career, Mr Ahtisaari has worked for peace and reconciliation, whether in his roles as Finnish senior public servant and President or in an international capacity, often connected to the UN.
In its announcement of this year’s award, the Nobel Committee emphasised Mr Ahtisaari’s role in the negotiations leading to Namibia’s independence in 1990, and the central role he and his organisation CMI played in solving the complicated Aceh question in Indonesia in 2005. During the last decade Mr Ahtisaari has also sought to find a solution to the conflict in Kosovo, and a peaceful conclusion to the problems in Iraq. He founded CMI in 2000.
Mr Ahtisaari’s “important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts (…) have contributed to a more peaceful world and to ‘fraternity between nations’ in Alfred Nobel’s spirit,” the Nobel Committee wrote in its announcement.
Congratulations from Prime Minister Stoltenberg
“Martti Ahtisaari is a peacebuilder who has inspired hope in many people. He has worked tirelessly for many years to find solutions to a number of difficult conflicts in the world and should be applauded for his deep commitment to peace,” Prime Minister Stoltenberg commented after the announcement of the prize, sending his warmest congratulations to Mr Ahtisaari.
197 candidates
This year there were 197 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee selects the winner. The Committee is completely independent, and is not subject to instructions or orders from the Norwegian authorities or anyone else.
The Nobel Peace Prize includes a gold medal, a personal diploma and a large sum of money (currently SEK 10 million, or around USD 1.4 million).