“I am very happy that Wangari Maathai has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004, for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. Ms. Maathai highly deserves the prize”, Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said today, following the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award this year’s peace prize to the Kenyan woman heading the Green Belt Movement.

The Prime Minister said the Nobel Committee this year gives a new dimension to the prize, by linking contributions to sustainable ecology to peace and human rights efforts.

“Wangari Maathai has been a path-breaking woman in Africa”, Mr. Bondevik said. “She has been pioneering the struggle against poverty and in efforts for democratic rights for women and a sustainable development. She has also been active in peace and justice efforts through her participation on the UN Secretary General’s advisory board on disarmament”, the Prime Minister said.

“The broad international recognition of Ms. Mathai’s efforts were visualised when she came to Norway earlier this year to receive the Sophie Prize, handed over by our minister of the environment at the time, Mr. Børge Brende”, Mr. Bondevik said.

“I have the deepest respect for Ms. Maathai’s unselfish efforts for the poor, for women’s rights, for the environment, for democracy and peace. Ms. Maathai’s contributions represent neighbourly love, care and solidarity in practice. Through her struggle for democratic rights, in particular for the poor, she is a courageous advocate for human dignity”, the Prime Minister said.

Refering to Ms. Mathai’s tree-planting programmes, the Prime Minister said he will himself contribute by planting a tree during his visit to Nairobi in Kenya next week.