GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION TO HOLD THIRTIETH SESSION FROM 14-16 DECEMBER
Press Release
IK/261
GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION TO HOLD THIRTIETH SESSION FROM 14-16 DECEMBER
19981211 GENEVA, 11 December (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission will hold its thirtieth session from 14 to 16 December 1998 under the Presidency of Ambassador Gonçalo de Santa Clara Gomes of Portugal.During the session, the Council will consider the appointment of three Panels of Commissioners. The Council will also consider the report and recommendations of the Panel of Commissioners concerning part two of the second instalment of Category D claims (individual claims for damages in excess of $100,000), as well as the report and recommendations of the Panel of Commissioners concerning the first instalment of E3 claims by corporations and other legal entities.
Issues relating to the processing and payment of claims, including reports from governments on the distribution to successful claimants of payments received from the Compensation Fund, will also be discussed by the Council.
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) was established in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions 687 and 692 (1991) to pay compensation for losses and damages suffered by individuals, corporations, governments and international organizations as a direct result of Iraq's unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait (2 August 1990 to 2 March 1991).
The Commission is composed of the Governing Council; panels of Commissioners; and the secretariat.
The Governing Council is the policy-making organ of the UNCC. Its composition is the same as that of the 15-member Security Council at any given time. The Governing Council provides overall policy guidance and acts on the recommendations regarding compensation for claimants made by the Panels of Commissioners.
The Panels of Commissioners review and evaluate the claims submitted by governments on behalf of their nationals, their companies or on their own
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behalf. On the basis of their review, undertaken in instalments of claims, the panels recommend compensation awards to the Governing Council.
The secretariat, headed by the Executive Secretary, services and provides assistance to the Governing Council and the Panels of Commissioners. The secretariat also administers the United Nations Compensation Fund, also established under Security Council resolution 692 (1991).
The total number of claims received by the Commission within the filing deadlines is over 2.6 million. The total asserted value of these claims (i.e. the amount sought by the claimants) amounts to over $250 billion. Ninety-six governments have filed claims, as well as 13 offices of three international organizations, which have filed claims on behalf of individuals not in a position to submit their claims through a government.
The Commission has resolved over 2.5 million claims to date. More than 1.4 million of these claims have been awarded compensation. The total amount of compensation that has been awarded in respect of the successful claims is approximately $7.1 billion.
Over $1.9 billion has been paid to governments for distribution to all successful claimants in category B (claims for serious personal injury or death) as well as to successful claimants whose claims were resolved in the first four instalments of category A (individual claims for departure from Kuwait or Iraq) and category C (individual claims for damages up to $100,000).
Funds to pay the awards of compensation are drawn from the United Nations Compensation Fund. The Fund receives 30 per cent of the revenue generated from the export of Iraqi oil under Security Council resolution 705 (1991). Funds have started to be made available in accordance with the "oil-for-food" mechanism established by Security Council resolution 986 (1995) and extended by Security Council resolutions 1111 (1997) and 1143 (1997), 1153 (1998) and 1210 (1998).
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