Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a dinner in honour of President Martti Ahtisaari’s Nobel Peace Prize on 18 December 2008

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In the Finnish history, the tenth of October 2008 will be remembered as a day of joy. On that day the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that President Ahtisaari would be receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008. A pioneering work for many decades to resolve long-lasting and difficult conflicts was given a well-deserved recognition.

It is very rare that an incumbent president has to change daily programme as a result of good news. On that day in October, this exception took place when, with a few hours’ warning, I had the pleasure – within these walls – of presenting the latest Nobel Prize winner to the world media.

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The Nobel Peace Prize is without doubt this field’s most prestigious international honour, and I do not believe I am exaggerating when saying that the whole of Finland is proud of this recognition. After 63 years, I believe, it is time for Finnish schoolchildren to be taught about one more Finnish Nobel Prize winner, following on from F.E Sillanpää in 1939 and A.I. Virtanen in 1945.

Peace work is cooperation, but it should be emphasized, however, that the Nobel Prize is a honour for Martti Ahtisaari, personally. You have, through your own contribution and personal capabilities, helped build a better and fairer world.

In their citation, the Nobel Committee highlighted Martti Ahtisaari’s work on several continents and over more than three decades to resolve international conflicts. The Committee also referred to the span of Ahtisaari’s entire international career: starting with Namibia’s independence process, then going through Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Central Asia, the Horn of Africa and Aceh back to Kosovo and Iraq. This is an impressive list and a unique achievement for one person.

The Committee ends its statement by mentioning Ahtisaari’s importance as a traditional mediator and expresses the hope that Ahtisaari’s achievements will act as inspiration to others. I would like to elaborate a bit further on this point.

Finland has long traditions in supporting peace processes. We have significantly contributed to international peacekeeping – on both the civilian and military side. Our persistent efforts have also had an effect on the international image of Finland – it is part of our old and, we hope, our new brand.

President Ahtisaari’s valuable work may inspire others both here in Finland and elsewhere. The world needs new people with influence in this field. They should be grown from among politicians, civil servants and NGOs.

Aceh, Iraq and other examples show the value of Martti Ahtisaari’s Crisis Management Initiative. I encourage the CMI to be increasingly active in promoting what is called “second-track” diplomacy. It is surely possible to find further effective synergy from cooperation between our own diplomats and the CMI.

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I have heard that two autumns ago the tension was high in the Vienna office of Martti Ahtisaari, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Kosovo Status Process had raised expectations that the Nobel Peace Prize would be awarded to a long-term candidate.

However, the Finnish TV crew, who had arrived in Vienna in considerable numbers, were disappointed. The time was not yet ripe for the long-awaited news. At least one of the guests here this evening, Rauli Virtanen, will certainly remember the situation.

The disappointment was not confined to the reporters and camera crew. We all felt the same.

Work brings its own rewards. It is good that we in Finland did not give up hope and our shared wish came true. The name Ahtisaari remained on the list of candidates with good reason.

As a result of a wise decision by the Nobel Committee, I have had the pleasure of inviting you to dedicate this evening to Martti Ahtisaari’s achievement. What an excellent reason to celebrate!

I would like to propose a toast to President Martti Ahtisaari, to his life’s work so far and, in particular, to his Nobel Peace Prize.