Finland's former president Martti Ahtisaari has been awarded the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr Ahtisaari has had a long career of peace mediation work including a 2005 accord between Indonesia and rebels in its Aceh province.
The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ole Danbolt Mjoes, cited Mr Ahtisaari for 'his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts.'
'These efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to 'fraternity between nations' in Alfred Nobel's spirit,' he added.
Mr Ahtisaari was also a member, with South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, of the Northern Ireland international arms inspectors, appointed in 2000 to verify IRA weapons decommissioning.
His most recent appointment was as UN Special Envoy at the Kosovo status process negotiations.
Originally a teacher, Martti Ahtisaari entered the diplomatic service in the late 1960s and was appointed ambassador to Tanzania in 1973 at the age of 36.
As the UN Secretary General's special envoy to Namibia, Mr Ahtisaari helped lead the country towards independence in 1990.
In 1994 Finland's Social Democratic Party nominated him to run for the presidency and he became the first directly elected Finnish president.
Click here for more on this year's Nobel prize winners and the Swedish inventor who created the prestigious awards.
