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The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari for his work negotiating peaceful solutions to conflicts from Namibia to Kosovo.

Norway's Nobel Committee today (Friday) said Mr. Ahtisaari's efforts over more than 30 years have contributed to a more peaceful world.

Mr. Ahtisaari told a Norwegian broadcaster he considers his peace efforts in the southern African nation of Namibia his greatest achievement. Those talks paved the way for Namibia's independence from South Africa.

More recently, he crafted a plan for Kosovo to be granted internationally-supervised independence -- a plan now being implemented.

Mr. Ahtisaari and an organization he founded (the Crisis Management Initiative)have also worked to facilitate peace in Iraq, Indonesia and Northern Ireland.

The Nobel Committee said it hopes others may be inspired by his efforts and achievements.