GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION APPROVES AWARDS OF APPROXIMATELY $182 MILLION

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION

APPROVES AWARDS OF APPROXIMATELY $182 MILLION

GENEVA, 13 December (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the presidency of Sverre Bergh Johansen (Norway), concluded its forty-sixth session today and approved awards of $181,551,055.76 for compensation for losses suffered during the Iraqi attack and occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991.  Representatives of Kuwait and Iraq addressed the 15-member Governing Council at its opening plenary.

The Council approved five 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 in category "F":

-- Part one of the fifteenth instalment of category "D" claims (individual claims for losses over $100,000) involved 500 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 17 governments and one international organization.  Of these, 445 claims filed by 13 governments and one international organization were recommended for compensation, with a total award value of $129,121,634.76;

-- The eighth instalment of category "E1" claims (oil sector claims) involved 12 claims filed on behalf of corporations by five governments.  Of these, 11 claims filed by five governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $36,378,070;

-- The twenty-second instalment of category "E3" claims (non-Kuwaiti construction and engineering claims) involved 13 claims filed on behalf of corporations by nine governments.  Of these, six claims filed by six governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $13,692,464;

-- The twenty-seventh instalment of category "E3" claims involved 13 claims filed on behalf of corporations by nine governments.  Of these, three claims filed by three governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $851,349;

-- The fourth instalment of category "E/F" claims (claims filed on behalf of insurance companies and export credit agencies) involved 15 claims filed by six governments.  Of these, two claims filed by two governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $1,507,538.

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 a report of the Executive Secretary on the distribution by governments of payments to successful claimants, the transparency of the distribution process, and the return of undistributed funds.

The Council decided to hold its next regular session from 11 to 13 March 2003.

To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of over $43.7 billion, including the awards approved at the forty-sixth session.  Over $16 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 Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore, whose terms of office end on 31 December 2002.  As of 1 January 2003, the five new members of the Security Council, Angola, Chile, Germany, Pakistan and Spain, will be joining the Governing Council for two-year terms.

At the closing plenary, a number of Council members, as well as the Executive Secretary, expressed their profound appreciation to Ambassador Johansen for his leadership of the Council over the past two years and, in particular, for his contribution to the maintenance of the Council's tradition of decision-making by consensus.

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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