Peace negotiator Martti Ahtisaari honoured by Queen’s University Belfast
Former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari was honoured by Queen’s University in Belfast on Thursday 9 December. President Ahtisaari, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, received an honorary Doctorate of Laws for distinction in public service.
Delivering the citation, Queen’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said: “Over the last thirty years, and across several continents, Martti Ahtisaari has played a central role in resolving international conflicts.”
“From 2000 to 2001 he served as an arms inspector for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, making an important contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process – for which all of us in Northern Ireland owe him a great debt.”
“Mr Ahtisaari made his name as an international mediator in the 1970s, working to bring about the independence of Namibia from South Africa. In 1999 he was instrumental in helping persuade then Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to accept NATO’s terms for ending the war in Kosovo; and in 2005, through his own organisations, the Crisis Management Initiative, he helped to end 30 years of fighting between Aceh rebels and the Indonesian government."
“Mr Ahtisaari’s reputation as a skilled negotiator, and his success in handling some of the world’s most challenging situations, has earned him numerous accolades, including the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. I am delighted that today he can add an honorary degree from Queen’s to that list of tributes.”
Photos by Tiina Heinilä, Embassy of Finland