GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $148,051,137 FOR COMPENSATION AT THIRTY-SIXTH SESSION
Press Release
IK/294
GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $148,051,137 FOR COMPENSATION AT THIRTY-SIXTH SESSION
20000615GENEVA, 15 June (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the Presidency of Hans J. Heinemann (Netherlands), has today approved awards of $148,051,137 for compensation. The delegations of Kuwait, Iraq and the Sudan addressed the 15-member Governing Council at its opening plenary meeting.
The Council approved three reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners concerning claims in categories D (claims of individuals for damages above $100,000) and F (claims of governments and international organizations):
The fourth instalment (part two) of category D claims involved 199 claims filed on behalf of individuals by the Government of Kuwait. All the claims filed were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $57,659,045.08;
The fifth instalment of category D claims involved 498 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 26 governments and international organizations. Of those, 456 claims filed by those 26 governments and international organizations were approved for compensation, with a total award value of $45,865,923.46;
The fourth instalment of category F1 claims involved 16 claims relating to the claims of governmental entities filed by 10 governments. Of these, 10 claims filed by nine governments were approved for compensation, with a total award value of $44,526,169.00.
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, the transparency of the distribution process and the return of undistributed funds.
The Council approved the nomination of the Secretary-General of a new Commissioner for the category E1 panel of Commissioners which deals with oil sector claims.
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The Council concluded its discussions on the third phase of payments. The Council decided that successful claimants in categories D, E (claims of corporations, other private legal entities and public sector enterprises) and F would receive an initial amount of $5 million in the order in which the claims have been approved. Subsequent payments of $10 million will be made to successful claimants in those categories of claims. Successful environmental monitoring and assessment claims are accorded priority in making the above-mentioned payments. Payments will be made every four months for distribution to successful claimants.
The third phase of payments is expected to commence in late 2000, in anticipation of the conclusion of the second phase of payments, which commenced on 23 September 1999. In the second phase of payments, the Council had determined that priority of payment would be provided to individual claimants in categories A (claims of individuals for departure from Kuwait or Iraq) and C (claims of individuals for damages up to $100,000), while also providing compensation up to $100,000 to claimants in categories D, E and F. The priority accorded to individual claimants in categories A and C in the second phase of payments follows the earlier first phase of payments, which involved an initial payment of $2,500 to each successful individual claimant in categories A and C, as well as payment of the full amount to all successful claimants in category B (claims for death or serious personal injury).
The Governing Council considered the report and recommendations of the panel of Commissioners concerning the fourth instalment of category E1 claims, involving four claims by three governments. To continue its consideration of that item, the thirty-sixth session has been adjourned to 30 June.
To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of $15,669,471,007, including the awards approved in this session; over $6.8 billion of the amount awarded has been made available to governments and international organizations for distribution to successful claimants in all categories of claims.
Further information about the Commission, including the text of all Governing Council decisions and reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners, can be found on the United Nations Compensation Commission Web site located at http://www.uncc.ch.
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