GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $234 MILLION

Press Release
IK/281

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $234 MILLION

GENEVA, 30 September (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission concluded its thirty-third session today under the Presidency of Hans J. Heinemann (Netherlands). Representatives of Kuwait and Iraq addressed the 15-member Governing Council at its opening plenary meeting.

The Council approved six reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners. Three of the reports and recommendations concerned claims filed by corporations relating to construction and engineering (category "E3" claims):

The fourth instalment of category "E3" claims involved 19 claims filed on behalf of corporations by 19 governments, with 13 claims filed by 13 governments recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $42,080,882;

The eighth instalment of category "E3" claims involved 18 claims filed on behalf of corporations by eight governments, none of which was recommended for compensation;

The ninth instalment of category "E3" claims involved 16 claims filed on behalf of corporations by eight governments, with nine claims filed by four governments recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $2,405,208.

The Council also approved two reports and recommendations concerning the second and fourth instalments of claims filed by Kuwaiti corporations (category "E4" claims):

The second instalment of category "E4" claims involved 381 claims filed on behalf of corporations by the Government of Kuwait, with 139 claims recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $119,900,072;

The fourth instalment of category "E4" claims involved 140 claims filed on behalf of corporations by the Government of Kuwait, with 135 claims recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $69,998,366.

Finally, the Council also approved a special report and recommendations made by the category "D" panel of commissioners concerning adjustments to approved claim awards, applying deductions to category "D" claim awards for losses also recommended for compensation in categories "A", "B" and "C".

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The Council discussed a progress report of the Executive Secretary on the activities of the Commission. The report addressed claims processing and the payment of approved claims.

The Council also discussed the report of the Executive Secretary on the distribution of payments awarded and the transparency of the distribution process (implementing decision 18 of the Governing Council), and the report of the Executive Secretary on the return of undistributed funds (implementing decision 48 of the Governing Council). The second phase of payments, in which the Commission continued to accord priority to small individual claims while also providing meaningful compensation to individual claimants over $100,000, corporate entities, and governments (categories "D", "E" and "F"), commenced on 23 September. To date, over $3.6 billion has been made available to governments and international organizations in the first and second phases of payment for distribution to successful claimants.

The Governing Council decided to hold its next session from 7 to 9 December.

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Further information about the Commission, including the text of all Governing Council decisions and reports and recommendations of panels of Commissioners, can be found on the United Nations Compensation Commission website located at http://www.uncc.ch.