Commemorating President Martti Ahtisaari
CMI, Interpeace, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva, and Geneva Graduate Institute co-organized The Martti Ahtisaari Legacy Seminar in Geneva.
On 22 May 2025, CMI, Interpeace, the Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva, and the Geneva Graduate Institute co-organized The Martti Ahtisaari Legacy Seminar in Geneva. Kindly see the post by CMI on Linkedin at the end and here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331638661081382912/
President Martti Ahtisaari and CMI were early supporters of ICT4Peace in 2004, and Martti also served as Chairman of the ICT4Peace International Advisory Board for many years.
In commemorating his legacy, ICT4Peace kindly invites to watch a recording of President Ahtisaari delivering a statement on behalf of the ICT4peace Foundation at a High-level meeting to discuss the ICT4Peace “Interim Report: Stocktaking of UN Crisis Information Management Capabilities”, held on 7th November 2008 at the United Nations in New York: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLMsS_OSH4.
The report itself you can be found here: https://ict4peace.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ICT4Peace-2008-Stocktaking-UN-Crisis-Information-Management-Capabilities.pdf.
See also his Statement on the occasion of a High-level Meeting at the UN in New York on 15 November 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLMsS_OSH4.
And see the full report on that meeting on ICT4Peace: Strategic use of ICT for Crisis Management: https://ict4peace.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Summary-of-working-lunch-on-ICT-and-crisis-management-Final.pdf.
CMI writes:
“Yesterday’s Martti Ahtisaari Legacy Seminar in Geneva offered an invaluable opportunity to reflect on President Ahtisaari’s impact and the future of mediation and humanitarian diplomacy. A key voice in the discussion was Dr. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, President of Kosovo.
Reflecting on President Ahtisaari’s life and legacy, President Osmani Sadriu underlined Ahtisaari’s own background as a refugee which gave him a profound understanding of the human suffering caused by war. She emphasised that Ahtisaari viewed peace not merely as an ideal but a necessity, echoing Ahtisaari’s conviction that peace must be pursued with both vision and determination.
The high-level panel focused on the shifting dynamics of peace mediation and humanitarian diplomacy, stressing the need for more equitable partnerships and strengthened long-term investment in peace infrastructure. Panelists highlighted that sustainable peace requires, among other things, a stronger role for local civil society and a more inclusive multilateral system.
A recurring theme, in the spirit of President Ahtisaari, was the need to reclaim the narrative that peace is possible and that war is not inevitable. The conversation also challenged traditional notions of diplomacy by underscoring that what matters most is who is at the table, not where peace is negotiated — be it in Beijing, Delhi, Brasília, or the Vatican. What counts is the inclusivity of the process and the sustainability of the outcome.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, speakers, and partners who contributed to this seminar. We hope that these conversations served as a reminder that we have the power to act and change the trajectory.”
