Martti Ahtisaari was the former president of Finland and the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.
- Died: October 16, 2023 (Who else died on October 16?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 86.
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Martti Ahtisaari’s legacy
Ahtisaari was both a politician and a diplomat, and it was the latter role that defined his life and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1973, he was named Finland’s ambassador to Tanzania, the first of several diplomatic appointments throughout his life. Ahtisaari served as deputy secretary-general of the United Nations and United Nations Commissioner for Namibia in the 1970s and ‘80s. In the latter role and throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s, he played a key part in negotiating an end to the war between Namibia and South Africa. His efforts were greatly appreciated by the Namibian people, who granted him honorary citizenship upon gaining their independence in 1990.
In the wake of that independence, Ahtisaari was appointed as Finland’s head of the Foreign Ministry. He served there until 1994, when he was elected president of Finland. Serving a single six-year term, Ahtisaari was most noted for overseeing Finland’s entry into the European Union, of which he was a strong supporter. He also advocated for Finland to join NATO, which finally came to fruition just six months before his death.
Ahtisaari’s diplomatic work also included tireless negotiations on behalf of Kosovo, both in 1999 while he was still president and again in the lead-up to the country declaring its independence from Serbia in 2008. Those efforts and his work on behalf of Namibia were among the factors leading to his Nobel honor in 2008. He was chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of “his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts.”
Notable quote
“Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings. There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore those who have power and influence can also stop them.” —from Ahtisaari’s Nobel Lecture in 2008
Tributes to Martti Ahtisaari
Full obituary: The New York Times
