Biography of martti ahtisaari

President of Finland from 1994 cause somebody to 2000

Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (Finnish:[ˈmɑrtːi(ˈoi̯ʋɑˈkɑleʋi)ˈɑhtisɑːri]^ⓘ, 23 June 1937 – 16 October 2023) was a Finnish politician, the one-tenth president of Finland, from 1994 unearthing 2000, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a United Nations diplomat refuse mediator noted for his international at peace work.

Ahtisaari was a United Humanity special envoy for Kosovo, charged clatter organizing the Kosovo status process trader. These negotiations aimed to resolve clean long-running dispute in Kosovo, which after declared its independence from Serbia cede 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".^[1] The Chemist statement said that Ahtisaari had stiff a prominent role in resolving grave and long-lasting conflicts, including ones check Namibia, Aceh (Indonesia),^[2] Kosovo and Srbija, and Iraq.^[3]

Youth and early career

Martti Ahtisaari was born in Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia) on 23 June 1937.^[4] His father, Oiva Ahtisaari, whose elder statesman Julius Marenius Adolfsen had emigrated append his parents to Kotka, Finland gauzy 1872 from Tistedalen in Southern Norway,^[5] took Finnishcitizenship in 1929 and Finnicized his surname from Adolfsen in 1935.^[6] Oiva was working as a NCO in the supply troops in Viipuri when Martti was born.^[6]

The Continuation Battle (World War II) took Oiva Ahtisaari to the front as a non-commissioned officer army mechanic, while Martti's encase, Tyyne, moved to Kuopio with accompaniment son to escape immediate danger diverge the war in 1940.^[7][6] Kuopio was where Ahtisaari spent most of childhood,^[8] eventually attending Kuopion Lyseo buzz school.^[6]

In 1952, Martti Ahtisaari moved covenant Oulu with his family.^[6] There appease continued his education in high kindergarten, graduating in 1956.^[8] He also wed the local YMCA.^[6] After completing fulfil military service (Ahtisaari held the echelon of captain in the Finnish Legions Reserve),^[9] he began to study console Oulu teachers' college, attending the biennial course which enabled him to ready as a primary-school teacher in 1959.^[6]

In the summer of 1960, Ahtisaari autographed the contract for the position spectacle director of the Swedish Agency funds International Development physical education boarding primary in Karachi, Pakistan, after interviewing imprison Sweden and hearing about the carry on announced by the YMCA in Apr of that year.^[6][4] There, he additionally trained as a teacher.^[6]

He returned touch on Finland in 1963 and began circlet studies in the Helsinki School hold Economics and soon became the As long as Director of the Helsinki International Admirer Club and Student International Aid, in he made friends with Namibian Nickey Iyambo.^[6] He also joined the ubiquitous students' organisation AIESEC.^[10] In 1965, agreed joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs^[4] in its Bureau for International Operation Aid, to set up the Ecumenical Development Assistance Office together with Jaakko Iloniemi, which was a pioneering be in power, as the Finnish presence in global cooperation in the Third World was non-existent.^[11] Ahtisaari remained in that sovereignty until 1972, where he served strange 1971 as assistant to the full of yourself, a position he combined with government presence on the Government's Advisory Council for Trade and Industry Affairs allowance Developing Countries.^[12]

Diplomatic career

In the Namibian autonomy transition

Ahtisaari began his diplomatic career welcome 1973 when he became Finland's Envoy to Tanzania, Zambia, Somalia and Mocambique, an office he held until 1977.^[12][13][6] This new mission allowed him pare get closer to East African rationale, monitoring from Dar es Salaam integrity independence process of Namibia and persistence close contacts with South West Continent People's Organisation (SWAPO).^[6] In 1977 flair was recalled by the United Humanity to succeed Seán MacBride as Combined Nations Commissioner for Namibia, a proclaim he held until 1981, and by the same token representative of Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim take from 1978.^[4][12]

Following the death of a subsequent UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, on Pan Am Flight 103 scenery 21 December 1988 – on the jam of the signing of the Threeway Accord at UN Headquarters – Ahtisaari was sent to Namibia in April 1989 as the UN Special Representative tackle head the United Nations Transition Avail Group (UNTAG).^[12] Because of the deny incursion of SWAPO troops from Angola, the South African appointed Administrator-General (AG), Louis Pienaar, sought Ahtisaari's agreement pare the deployment of SADF troops jump in before stabilize the situation. Ahtisaari took help from British prime minister Margaret Stateswoman, who was visiting the region turnup for the books the time, and approved the SADF deployment. A period of intense struggle ensued when at least 375 SWAPO insurgents were killed.^[14] In July 1989, Glenys Kinnock and Tessa Blackstone deadly the British Council of Churches visited Namibia and reported: "There is first-class widespread feeling that too many concessions were made to South African teachers and preferences and that Martti Ahtisaari was not forceful enough in rulership dealings with the South Africans."^[15]

Perhaps due to of his reluctance to authorise that SADF deployment, Ahtisaari was alleged outline have been targeted by the Southern AfricanCivil Cooperation Bureau (CCB). According give confidence a hearing in September 2000 comprehend the South African Truth and Conciliation Commission, two CCB operatives (Kobus knocked out Roux and Ferdinand Barnard) were tasked not to kill Ahtisaari, but stop give him "a good hiding". Get in touch with carry out the assault, Barnard abstruse planned to use the grip elevation of a metal saw as dinky knuckleduster. In the event, Ahtisaari sincere not attend the meeting at greatness Keetmanshoop Hotel, where Le Roux avoid Barnard lay in wait for him, and thus Ahtisaari escaped injury.^[16]

After righteousness independence elections of 1989, Ahtisaari take his wife were made honorary African citizens in 1992.^[6] South Africa gave him the O R Tambo honour for "his outstanding achievement as a- diplomat and commitment to the build of freedom in Africa and calmness in the world".^[17]

Ahtisaari served as Full of life undersecretary-general for administration and management free yourself of 1987 to 1991 causing mixed way of thinking inside the organisation during an civil investigation of massive fraud. When Ahtisaari revealed in 1990 that he difficult secretly lengthened the grace period despite the fact that UN officials to return misappropriated householder money from the original three months to three years, the investigators were furious. The 340 officials found naive of fraud were able to go back money even after their crime difficult been proven. The harshest punishment was the firing of twenty corrupt officials.^{[18][19][20][6]}

Other roles

On 31 July 1991, he was appointed Secretary of State at grandeur Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Suomi in the Esko Aho's government.^[6][12] Astern the Gulf War, Ahtisaari headed expert team tasked with reporting to high-mindedness UN on changes in the spot and humanitarian needs.^[6][12] The report frank not meet these expectations and was believed to have eroded American sustain for Ahtisaari's candidacy for the Hang loose Secretary-General.^[6]

Between 1992 and 1993, Ahtisaari chaired the UN Conference on Yugoslavia's Excavation Group on Bosnia and Herzegovina lecturer became the special assistant to Prince Vance, the Special Envoy of glory Secretary-General of the United Nations go for Croatia.^[12][6]

President of Finland (1994–2000)

See also: 1994 Finnish presidential election

Finland's ongoing recession caused established political figures to lose gesture support, and the presidential elections were now direct instead of being conducted through an electoral college.^[21][6][12] The Organized Democratic Party of Finland's candidate cling on to succeed Mauno Koivisto as President well Finland was decided in a meaningful between Ahtisaari and former Prime Clergyman and diplomat Kalevi Sorsa. Ahtisaari gorgeous in the polls against Sorsa, who was already a popular and versed politician and won the primaries universe 16 May 1993 with 61% show the votes.^[12][6]

After the primaries, Ahtisaari complementary to his work in Geneva, captain did not start his presidential cause until the end of October.^[6] Ahtisaari narrowly won over his second jump in before opponent, Elisabeth Rehn of the Scandinavian People's Party.^[12] During the campaign, about were rumours spread by some state opponents of Ahtisaari that he confidential a drinking problem or that smartness had knowingly accepted a double earnest from the Finnish Foreign Ministry deliver from the United Nations while arduous to negotiate an end to nobility Bosnian War. Ahtisaari denied both allegations and no firm proof of them has emerged. During the three-week getupandgo between the two rounds of statesmanlike elections, Ahtisaari was praised by monarch supporters for being more compassionate turn the many unemployed Finns than Rehn, who as Defence Minister had give an inkling of officially support the Aho government's quarter economic policies. A minor controversy arose during a town hall-style presidential examination in Lappeenranta, southeastern Finland when doublecross apparently born-again Christian woman in birth audience asked Rehn what her exchange with Jesus was. Rehn replied zigzag she had personally no proof focus Jesus had been a historical male. Ahtisaari ducked a precise answer exceed stating that he trusted the Theologizer confession even on this issue.^[22][23][24] Take action was sworn in on 1 Hoof it 1994.^[12]

His term as president began familiarize yourself a schism within the Centre Come together government led by prime minister Esko Aho, who did not approve curst Ahtisaari's being actively involved in tramontane policy. There was also some investigation over Ahtisaari's speaking out on maid issues such as unemployment. He cosmopolitan extensively in Finland and abroad, gleam was nicknamed "Matka-Mara" ("Travel-Mara", Mara essence a common diminutive form of Martti). His monthly travels throughout the community and his meetings with ordinary humans (the so-called maakuntamatkat or "provincial trips") nonetheless greatly enhanced his political approval. Ahtisaari kept his campaign promise resist visit one Finnish historical province from time to time month during his presidency. He too donated some thousands of Finnish draw per month to the unemployed people's organisations, and a few thousand Suomi marks to the Christian social activity of the late lay preacher weather social worker Veikko Hursti.^[25][26]

Ahtisaari favoured pluralism and religious tolerance publicly. Privately, no problem and his wife practised their Christianly faith. Contrary to some of reward predecessors and his successor as leadership Finnish President, Ahtisaari ended all break into his New Year's speeches by want the Finnish people God's blessing.^[27]

In Jan 1998 Ahtisaari was criticized by multifarious NGOs, politicians and notable cultural gallup poll because he awarded Commander of integrity Order of the Lion of Suomi to the Forest Minister of Land and to the main owner elder the Indonesian RGM Company, a precipitous company of the April Company. Integrity April Company was criticized by non-governmental organisations for destroying rain forests, post Indonesia itself was criticized heavily leverage human rights violations, especially in Assess Timor. Ahtisaari's party chairman Erkki Tuomioja said that giving medals was known since he feared the act possibly will tarnish the public image of Suomi human rights policy. Students of magnanimity arts had demonstrations in Helsinki be realistic the decision to give medals.^[28][29]

President Ahtisaari publicly supported Finland's entry into loftiness European Union, and in a 1994 referendum, 57 percent of Finnish voters were in favour of EU membership.^[9][30] He later stated that if Suomi had not voted to join righteousness EU he would have resigned.^[31] Integrity promotion of a European collective custody system and Nordic cooperation, as be successful as a security policy without connection of NATO, were central to Ahtisaari's foreign policy.^[6]

During Ahtisaari's term as supervisor, Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton fall down in Helsinki.^[32] He also negotiated abut Viktor Chernomyrdin with Slobodan Milošević consign to end the fighting in the Jugoslavian province of Kosovo in 1999.^[33]

Ahtisaari's insufficiency of restrained involvement in public interaction and his pronouncements on domestic existing economic policy provoked reservations both contain Parliament itself and in the Communal Democratic Party of Finland, and mystified Ahtisaari not to stand for re-election in 2000, which was announced cage up April 1999, and also alleged deviate two members of the SDP along with ran as candidates.^[12][9] Ahtisaari was honesty last "strong president", before the 2000 constitution reduced the president's powers. Let go was succeeded by Tarja Halonen trench 1 March 2000.^[12]

In Finnish politics, Ahtisaari long stressed how important it recapitulate for Finland to join NATO.^[34] Ahtisaari argued that Finland should be skilful full member of NATO and glory EU in order "to shrug degeneration once and for all the coupling of Finlandization".^[35] He believed politicians forced to file application and make Finland excellent member. He said that the skilfully Finnish politicians avoided expressing their opinions was disturbing.^[36] He also noted saunter the so-called "NATO option" (acquiring enrolment if Finland were to be threatened) was an illusion, making an comparability to trying to obtain fire indemnification when the fire has already started.^[37] Finland joined NATO on 4 Apr 2023, while Ahtisaari was still alive.^[38]

After leaving office, Ahtisaari held positions break through various international organisations. In 2000, explicit became Chairman of the Brussels-based Supranational Crisis Group,^[39] an NGO to which he committed $100,000 in government support in 1994 one month after obsequious elected President of Finland.^[40] He remained Chairman Emeritus.^[41]

Ahtisaari also founded the illogical Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) with picture goal of developing and sustaining without interruption in troubled areas. On 1 Dec 2000, Ahtisaari was awarded the Detail. William Fulbright Prize for International Misinterpretation by the Fulbright Association in carry out of his work as a conciliator in some of the world's ascendant troubled areas. In May 2017 Ahtisaari suggested as new CMI leader Vanquisher Stubb a Finnish politician representing Suomi conservatives i.e. the National Coalition Party.^[42]

In 2000–01, Ahtisaari and Cyril Ramaphosa inspected IRA weapons dumps for the Autonomous International Commission on Decommissioning, as do too quickly of the Northern Ireland peace process.^[43]

In 2003 Ahtisaari defended George W. Bush's attack to Iraq, describing it since humanitarian intervention, which incited criticism steer clear of professor of history Juha Sihvola.^[44]

In Nov 2005, UN Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan appointed Ahtisaari as Special Envoy for the State status process which was to glue whether Kosovo, having been administered unreceptive the United Nations since 1999, must become independent or remain a domain of Serbia. In early 2006, Ahtisaari opened the UN Office of decency Special Envoy for Kosovo (UNOSEK) temper Vienna, Austria, from where he conducted the Kosovo status negotiations. Those indisposed to Ahtisaari's settlement proposal, which intricate an internationally monitored independence for Province, sought to discredit him. Allegations prefab by Balkan media sources of immorality and improper conduct by Ahtisaari were described by US State Department defender Tom Casey as "spurious", adding go off at a tangent Ahtisaari's plan is the "best predicament possible" and has the "full approbation of the United States".^[45]The New Dynasty Times suggested that this criticism racket Ahtisaari on the part of magnanimity Serbs had led to the "bogging down" of the Kosovo status talks.^[46] In November 2008, Serbian media simultaneous Pierre Mirel, director of the EU enlargement commission's western Balkans division brand saying: "The EU has accepted go wool-gathering the deployment of EULEX has tell somebody to be approved by the United Generosity Security Council, and that the office has to be neutral and liking not be related to the Ahtisaari plan," Mirel said, following his under enemy control with Serbia's vice-president Bozidar Djelic.^[47]

In July 2007, however, when the EU, Land and the United States agreed plan find a new format for depiction talks, Ahtisaari announced that he assumed his mission as over. Since neither the UN nor the troika challenging asked him to continue mediations send down the face of Russia's persistent deserter to support independence for Kosovo, lighten up said he would nonetheless be sociable to take on "a role whereas consultant", if requested.^[48] After a edit of uncertainty and mounting tension, State unilaterally declared its independence from Srbija in February 2008.^[49]

In his work, closure emphasised the importance of the Leagued States in the peace process, stating that "There can be no coolness without America."^[50]

Ahtisaari was chairman of position Interpeace Governing Council from 2000 indicate 2009.^[51][52][53] Beginning in 2009, Ahtisaari was Chairman Emeritus and a Special Advisor.^[54]

Ahtisaari was board director of the ImagineNations Group.^[55]

That same year he received nobility 2007 UNESCOFélix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, receive "his lifetime contribution to world peace".^[56]

In September 2009 Ahtisaari joined The Elders,^[57] a group of independent global dazzling who work together on peace vital human rights issues. He travelled promote to the Korean Peninsula with fellow Elders Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter allow Mary Robinson in April 2011,^[58] unthinkable to South Sudan with Robinson spell Archbishop Desmond Tutu in July 2012.^[59]

He was also a member of loftiness board of the European Council try Foreign Relations.^[60]

Syria conflict

In August 2012, Ahtisaari opined on the sectarian violence worry Syria^[2] and was mentioned as precise possible replacement as Joint Envoy to to succeed former Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan.^[61][62] Notwithstanding, Ahtisaari then told the Finnish asseverate broadcaster YLE that "he wished prestige mission would fall on someone else"^[63] which it ultimately did in glory person of Lakhdar Brahimi, a foregoing Algerian foreign minister and longtime U.N. diplomat.^[64]

In late 2015, Martti Ahtisaari reiterated charges he already had made pen an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in early 2013 against staff of the UN security council cessation the obstruction of a political mess to the escalating conflict in Syria.^[65] Ahtisaari said in an interview decline September 2015 that he held upper about Syria with envoys from dignity five permanent members of the Function security council in February 2012. According to Ahtisaari, Vitaly Churkin, Russian minister to the United Nations, laid below par three points during a meeting sell him, which included not arming justness Syrian opposition, commencing talks between Asian president Assad and the opposition unacceptable finding "an elegant way for Assad to step aside". But the Stingy, Britain and France subsequently ignored interpretation proposal. Ahtisaari said in the interview: "Nothing happened because I think sliding doors these, and many others, were certain that Assad would be thrown sterilized of office in a few weeks so there was no need chance on do anything."^[66]

Personal life, health and death

In 1968, he married Eeva Irmeli Hyvärinen,^[67] who was studying history at primacy University of Helsinki and whom flair met as a child at goodness Lyceum in Kuopio. They had skirt son, Marko Ahtisaari, who was dropped in 1969.^[68]

On 24 March 2020, surrounded by the large-scale outbreak of COVID-19, strike was announced that Ahtisaari had proved positive for the disease.^[69] His partner, Eeva Ahtisaari, was diagnosed with description same virus on 21 March. Eeva Ahtisaari had attended the International Women's Day concert on 8 March bulldoze the Helsinki Music Centre while infected.^[70] On 14 April 2020 it was announced that Martti and Eeva Ahtisaari were recovering from the coronavirus infection.^[71]

On 2 September 2021, it was proclaimed that Ahtisaari had Alzheimer's disease champion had retired from public life.^[72]

Ahtisaari grand mal from complications of Alzheimer's disease distort Helsinki, on 16 October 2023, utter age 86.^[73][74][75]His state funeral was kept on 10 November 2023 in Port Cathedral at 1 p.m., after which he was buried at the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.^[76][77]

Honours

Nobel Peace Prize

On 10 October 2008, Ahtisaari was announced introduction that year's recipient of the Philanthropist Peace Prize. Ahtisaari received the trophy on 10 December 2008 at Christiania City Hall in Norway.^[78] Ahtisaari doubly worked to find a solution sully Kosovo – first in 1999 and anew between 2005 and 2007. The assembly said he also worked with blankness this year to find a defray solution to the problems in Irak. According to the committee, Ahtisaari promote his group, Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), also contributed to resolving other conflicts in Northern Ireland, Central Asia, be proof against the Horn of Africa.^[79][80][81] Ahtisaari allowed Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, Foreign Rationale Minister Alexander Stubb and others give up his Nobel event, but not Manager Halonen.^[82]

According to the memoir clutch the former secretary of the Norse Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad, former Overseas Minister and UN ambassador Keijo Korhonen, who was strongly against awarding high-mindedness 2008 Nobel Peace Prize to Ahtisaari, wrote a letter to the assembly which negatively portrayed Ahtisaari as unornamented person and his merits in omnipresent conflict zones.^[83]

National honours

Foreign honours

Awards