The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced in Oslo that they have decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts, according to a press release from the committee.
The committee said that these efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to "fraternity between nations" in Alfred Nobel's spirit.
"Throughout all his adult life, whether as a senior Finnish public servant and President or in an international capacity, often connected to the United Nations, Ahtisaari has worked for peace and reconciliation," says the committee.
For the past twenty years, he has figured prominently in endeavours to resolve several serious and long-lasting conflicts.
In 1989-90 he played a significant part in the establishment of Namibia's independence; in 2005 he and his organization Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) were central to the solution of the complicated Aceh question in Indonesia.
In 1999 and again in 2005-07, he sought under especially difficult circumstances to find a solution to the conflict in Kosovo.
This year, through the CMI and in cooperation with other institutions, Ahtisaari has tried to help find a peaceful conclusion to the problems in Iraq. He has also made constructive contributions to the resolution of conflicts in Northern Ireland, in Central Asia, and on the Horn of Africa.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee held that although the parties themselves have the main responsibility for avoiding war and conflict, it has on several occasions awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to mediators in international politics and hope that others may be inspired by their efforts and achievements.
Born in June 23 1937, Mr Ahtisaari began has diplomatic career in 1965 and has been in various posts in the foreign ministry.
He served as United Nations Commissioner for Namibia between 1977 and 1981. He was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary General for Namibia in July 1978.
He was Governor for Finland in the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank as well as in the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Former UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar appointed Mr Ahtisaari as Under-Secretary General for Administration and Management, effective 1 January 1987.
Mr Ahtisaari was elected President of the Republic of Finland in February 1994. He took oath of office on 1 March 1994.
Mr Ahtisaari graduated from the University of Oulu, Finland in 1959 and received an Honorary Doctorate (Pedagogy) from his university 1989.
He received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts in 1990 and then in Political Science, Social Science, Economic and Business Administration and even philosophy from various universities in the whole world.
Today Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator. Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts.
Every year the Nobel Peace Prize is announced in Oslo and will be issued in Oslo in December too.
By Xuefei Chen, People's Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm.
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