GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNCC APPROVES AWARDS OF $ 376.9 MILLION FOR COMPENSATION AT ITS FIFTY-THIRD SESSION

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNCC APPROVES AWARDS OF $376.9 MILLION

FOR COMPENSATION AT ITS FIFTY-THIRD SESSION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 23 September -- The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the presidency of Ambassador Michael Steiner (Germany), today concluded its fifty-third session and approved awards of $376,920,823.53 for compensation.

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

The Council approved five reports and recommendations of the panels of Commissioners concerning claims in categories “C”, “D” and “E”:

Part three of the eighteenth instalment of category “D” claims (claims of individuals for losses over $100,000) involved 41 claims filed on behalf of individuals by 11 governments.  Of these, 35 claims filed by eight governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $193,466,916.94;

Part three of the nineteenth instalment of category “D” claims involved 19 claims filed on behalf of individuals by four governments.  Of these, 18 claims filed by three governments were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $152,830,005.26;

Thirty claims were filed pursuant to Governing Council decision 12 by the Government of Kuwait.  The claims concern losses resulting from injuries sustained by claimants as a result of the explosion of landmines and other ordnance in Kuwait after 2 March 1991.  All the claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $551,439.45.

The third instalment of Palestinian late claims in category “C” (claims of individuals for losses up to $100,000) involved 21,551 claims filed by the Palestinian Authority.  Of these, the Panel of Commissioners determined that 1,784 claims satisfied the threshold eligibility requirement for review, namely, whether the claimants had a full and effective opportunity to file their claim, as set out by the Governing Council.  Of these, 1,784 eligible claims, 1,676 claims were approved by the Council for compensation, with a total award value of $28,972,289.88.

The Governing Council also approved the “Third special report and recommendations made by the merged ‘E4’ panel of Commissioners concerning overlapping claims”, prepared pursuant to its decision 123, involving adjustments to 11 claims.

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 by governments and international organizations 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 7 to 9 December 2004.

To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of approximately $48.9 billion, including the awards approved in the fifty-third session; approximately $18.6 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 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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