President Ahtisaari’s CMI office gets EUR half million from state

Decision comes in recognition of work for peace

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The Finnish government says that it will give the Crisis Management Initiative office of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari a grant of EUR 500,000.
      The money is to be included in this year’s second supplementary budget, which will be finalised on Wednesday next week.
      The money is to be granted to help finance CMI’s activities in 2005-2007. CMI had requested support of EUR 497,145.
      The government says that its grant is a way to recognise the work of Ahtisaari and his office. CMI’s most recent achievement was its work in mediating in the successful peace negotiations in Indonesia’s Aceh Province.
     
The government had come under some criticism for repeatedly leaving CMI without financial support, forcing it to rely on donations from foreign governments, foundations, and international organisations.
      Nevertheless, in the past two years, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has paid CMI for its work on behalf of the so-called Helsinki Process, which concluded in September.
      Another reason the government gave for earmarking money for CMI was to encourage other governments to do the same.
     
CMI says that it will use the funds for two projects: to improve the office’s capacity for rapid reaction by the end of 2007, and for the development of the civilian crisis management capabilities of the European Union.
      CMI hopes to set up a Martti Ahtisaari Rapid Reaction Facility, which is to closely monitor developments in Aceh, West Papua, and Nepal.
      In the development of the EU’s civilian crisis management, CMI is to monitor the activities of European non-governmental organisations, seeking to find points of synergy in different focal points of civilian crisis management.
     
Martti Ahtisaari had been seen as a possible recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Thursday that this year’s prize would go to the International Atomic Energy Agency and its director Mohamed ElBaradei.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ahtisaari installed as online betting favourite for Nobel Peace Prize (26.9.2005)
  President Ahtisaari pleased with progress in Aceh peace process (14.9.2005)
  Finnish Parliament to put Ahtisaari forward for Nobel Peace Prize (25.8.2005)
  President Ahtisaaris CMI faces cash crunch - next years funding not secured (19.8.2005)

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