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Martti Ahtisaari

1937-06-23 – 2023-10-16

Portrait of Martti Ahtisaari
This image has been extracted from another fileCredit: Johannes Jansson

Life & Legacy

Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (23 June 1937 – 16 October 2023) was a Finnish politician and diplomat who was the president of Finland from 1994 to 2000. He was Finland's Ambassador to Tanzania from 1973 to 1977 and United Nations Commissioner for Namibia from 1977 to 1981. Noted for his international peace work, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008.
Ahtisaari was a United Nations special envoy for Kosovo, charged with organizing the Kosovo status process negotiations. These negotiations aimed to resolve a long-running dispute in Kosovo, which later declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. In October 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". The Nobel statement said that Ahtisaari had played a prominent role in resolving serious and long-lasting conflicts, including ones in Namibia, Aceh (Indonesia), Kosovo and Serbia, and Iraq.

Occupation & Career

politician, diplomat, teacher

Education

University of Oulu; Kuopio Lyceum High School; Oulun Lyseon Lukio

Faith & Community

Lutheranism

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Nobel Peace Prize; Order of the White Eagle; Manfred Wörner Medal; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav‎; Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize; Geuzenpenning; Four Freedoms Award – Freedom Medal; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon; Delta Prize for Global Understanding; Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class; Peace Prize of Hesse; Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania; Global Economy Prize; J. William Fulbright Prize; Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; Knight of the Order of the Elephant; honorary doctor of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations; Zamenhof award; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland; Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana; Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great; Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope; Royal Order of the Seraphim; Order of the Dannebrog; Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary; Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo; Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath; Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Order of May; Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold; Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross; Grand Cross of the Order of Merit; Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer; Order of Mubarak the Great; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle; Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion; Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class; Order of State of Republic of Turkey; Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia; Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic‎; Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland; Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty; Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb; Decoration of the National Flag; Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín; Commander of the Congolese Order of Merit

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic‎ · Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana · Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania · Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · Commander of the Congolese Order of Merit · Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland · Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · Decoration of the National Flag · Delta Prize for Global Understanding · Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize · Four Freedoms Award – Freedom Medal · Geuzenpenning · Global Economy Prize · Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross · Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold · Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour · Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope · Grand Cross of the Order of Merit · Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary · Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty · Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb · Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin · Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland · Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer · Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great · Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany · Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle · Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · honorary doctor of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations · Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia · J. William Fulbright Prize · Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion · Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav‎ · Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath · Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon · Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic · Knight of the Order of the Elephant · Manfred Wörner Medal · Nobel Peace Prize · Order of May · Order of Mubarak the Great · Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class · Order of State of Republic of Turkey · Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo · Order of the Dannebrog · Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class · Order of the White Eagle · Peace Prize of Hesse · Royal Order of the Seraphim · Zamenhof award

Church

Lutheranism

Employer

United Nations

Organizations & Memberships

The Elders

Education & Institutions

Kuopio Lyceum High School · Oulun Lyseon Lukio · University of Oulu

Verified Legacy Record

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q29230 — wikidata View source

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