Decision of the Jury:

“The Prize goes to Mr Martti Ahtisaari for his lifetime contribution to world peace”.

NB: The videos below are available in French only

• Address by Mr Alioune Traoré, Executive Secretary of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, opening the Ceremony: 

• Address by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO:

• Address by President Henri Konan Bédié, Sponsor of the Prize:

• Address by President Abdou Diouf, Patron of the Prize:

NB: The videos below are simultaneously interpreted into French.

• Address by Mr Màrio Soares, Vice-President of the Jury, announcing the Prizewinner:

• Address by Mr Martti Ahtisaari, Former President of the Republic of Finland, 2007 Prizewinner:

The award ceremony of the Prize was held on 2 October 2008 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, and was attended by several personalities including:

- Mr Jusuf Kalla, Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia ;
- President Abdou Diouf, Patron of the Prize ;
- President Henri Konan Bédié, Sponsor of the Prize ;
- Mr Filippe Savadogo, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Communication and Special Envoy of the President of Burkina Faso ;
- Ms Teija Tiilikainen, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, representing the Government of the Republic of Finland ;
- Professor Mario Bettati, Special Adviser on European Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representing the French Government ;
- Mr Javier Pérez de Cuellar, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, member of the International Commission for Peace Research of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize ;
- Mr Philippe Séguin, First President of the French Court of Auditors ;
- Mr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ;
- Mr Mongi Bousnina, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization ;
- Mr George N. Anastassopoulos, President of the General Conference of UNESCO ;
- Mr Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï, Chairman of the Executive Board of UNESCO;
- Mr Mário Soares, Vice-President of the Jury and former President of Portugal ; 
- Mr Jean Foyer, member of the Jury ;
- Mr Mohammed Bedjaoui, Member of the Jury ;
- Mr Iba Der Thiam, member of the Jury ;
- Mrs Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, member of the Jury ;
- Mr Andreas Ǻdahl, member of the Jury;
- Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO ;
- Mr Alioune Traoré, Executive Secretary of the Prize.