GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UN COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF $1.8 BILLION

(Delayed in transmission)

GENEVA, 13 March (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 $1,765,851,513.89 for compensation.

The Council also elected the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria, Dimiter Tzantchev Tzantchev, as a Vice-President.

Representatives of Kuwait and Iraq addressed the fifteen-member Governing Council at its opening plenary meeting.

The Council approved eight reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners concerning claims from individuals in category "D", claims from corporations in category "E", and claims from governments and international organizations in category "F".

The tenth instalment of category “D” claims (individual claims for losses over $100,000) involved 610 claims filed on behalf of individuals by the Government of Kuwait.  All but one claim was recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $281,551,235.07.

The eleventh instalment of category "D" claims involved 524 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 15 governments and 2 international organizations.  Of these, 487 claims filed by 14 governments and 2 international organizations were recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $172,461,714.82.

The twenty-third instalment of category "E3" claims (non-Kuwaiti construction/engineering claims) involved 13 claims filed on behalf of corporations by six governments.  Of these, seven claims filed by four governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of

$971,565;

The nineteenth instalment of category "E4" claims (Kuwaiti claims, excluding oil sector claims) involved 139 claims filed on behalf of corporations by the Government of Kuwait.  Of these, 134 claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $80,250,015.

The twentieth instalment of category "E4" claims involved 146 claims filed on behalf of corporations.  Of these, 145 claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $99,577,512.

The sixth instalment of category "F1" claims (claims filed by Governments or international organizations, with the exception of environmental claims) involved 16 claims filed by four governments and six international organizations.  Of these, 13 claims filed by four governments and six international organizations were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of

$31,755,654;

The third instalment of category "F2" claims (claims filed by the Governments of Jordan and Saudi Arabia) involved 18 claims filed by the Government of Saudi Arabia.  Of these, 14 claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $158,706,818; and part one of the third instalment of category "F3" claims (claims filed by the Government of Kuwait, with the exception of environmental claims) involved 15 claims filed on behalf of Kuwaiti ministries and other government entities by the Government of Kuwait.  All 15 claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $ 940,577,000.

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.

The Council considered the issue of the frequency of payments made by the Commission to successful claimants under decision 100 of the Governing Council.  To ensure that payments to claimants are made as soon as practicable after the session at which their claims are approved, the Council decided that payments will be made every three months instead of every four months.

The Council decided to hold its next regular session from 18 to 20 June 2002.

To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of over $37.7billion, including the awards approved in the forty-third session; over $13.8 billion of the amount awarded has been made available to governments and international organizations for distribution to successful claimants in all categories of claims.  The next round of payment for distribution to successful claimants will be made to governments and international organizations on 4 April 2002.

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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