GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $132.7 MILLION FOR COMPENSATION

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION

APPROVES AWARDS OF $132.7 MILLION FOR COMPENSATION

GENEVA, 13 December (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the presidency of Ambassador Sverre Bergh Johansen (Norway), has today approved awards of $132,733,053.18 for compensation.  (The Compensation Commission was established in accordance with Security Council resolutions following the Gulf conflict in 1991.)

The Council approved four reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners concerning claims from individuals in category "D", and claims from corporations in category "E".

            Part two of the eighth instalment of category "D" claims (individual claims for losses of more than $100,000) involved 187 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 14 governments and one international organization.  Of these,

156 claims filed by 11 governments and one international organization were recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $32,745,106.63.

            Part two of the ninth instalment of category "D" claims involved 255 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 18 governments and international organizations.  Of these, 202 claims filed by 17 governments and international organizations were recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $42,993,424.55.

            The ninth instalment of category "E2" claims (non-Kuwaiti claims, excluding oil sector, construction/engineering and export guarantee and insurance claims) involved 134 claims filed on behalf of corporations by 24 governments.  Of these, 91 claims filed by 20 governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $43,143,817.00.

            The sixteenth instalment of category "E3" claims (non-Kuwaiti construction/engineering claims) involved 17 claims filed on behalf of corporations by 11 governments.  Of these, 10 claims filed by seven governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of

$13,850,705.00.

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

            The Council also discussed the report of the Executive Secretary on the distribution of payments awarded to successful claimants, the transparency of the distribution process, and the return of undistributed funds.

            Representatives of Kuwait, Iraq, Sudan, Turkey, and Palestine addressed the 15-member Governing Council at its opening plenary meeting.

            The Council decided to hold its next regular session from 12 to 14 March 2002.

            To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of over $35.9billion, including the awards approved in the forty-second session.  More than

$13.7 billion of the amount awarded has been made available to governments and international organizations for distribution to successful claimants in all categories of claims.

            The session just concluded was the last session for the delegations of Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia and Ukraine, whose terms of office end on

31 December 2001.  As of 1 January 2002, the five new members of the Security Council -- Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Syria -- will be joining the Governing Council for two-year terms.

            Further information about the Commission, including the text of 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 www.uncc.ch.

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