IK/
185
14 December 1995
COMPENSATION COMMISSION GOVERNING COUNCIL CONCLUDES NINETEENTH SESSION
Geneva, 13 December (UN Information Service) -- The Governing Council of
the United Nations Compensation Commission today concluded its nineteenth
session, which began on 11 December, under the presidency of Giuseppe
Baldocci (Italy), by deciding to pay $2.45 million to 719 successful
claimants in the final instalment of category "B" (serious personal injury
and death) claims arising from the Persian Gulf war.
With the conclusion of the proceedings in that claims category, the only
category "B" claims that remain pending are those of approximately 550
missing persons, mostly Kuwaitis, whose fate is still unknown. With the
latest award amounts approved, a total of $13,460,000 in compensation has
been made available to over 4,000 category "B" claimants from 40 countries
and three international organizations (United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East filing claims on
behalf of Palestinians).
Also in the course of the session, the Council approved the report of the
Panel of Commissioners for the fifth instalment of category "A" (departure)
claims, awarding approximately $784 million to more than
217,000 individuals. With the inclusion of those figures from the fifth
instalment, the Commission to date has awarded $2.6 billion to
approximately 800,000 successful category "A" claimants. The 140,000
claims that remain pending in that category are being checked as possible
duplicates or will need further individual examination. It is expected
that the sixth and final instalment of category "A" claims will be
concluded in mid-1996.
The Governing Council also adopted procedures to enhance the efficiency
and regulate the time-frame for completion of the work of the panels of
Commissioners resolving claims in categories D, E and F. The Council also
requested the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Carlos Alzamora, to
write to all Governments that have submitted category D, E and F claims in
order that they may identify the identities of individuals and any other
information of a confidential nature from a business perspective that
should be removed before panels of Commissioners may provide the claims
documents to third parties.
- 2 - Press Release IK/185
14 December 1995
During the course of the session, the Executive Secretary also reported
to the Council that the Government of Kuwait had transferred to the United
Nations Escrow Account $613,780 as revenue obtained from the sale of the
cargoes of seized ships carrying illegal Iraqi oil exports, of which
30 per cent will be made available to the Commission's Compensation Fund.
The Commission is continuing its efforts to obtain similar revenues from
the sale
of the cargoes of other seized ships.
The Governing Council accepted for filing 271 late claims submitted in
categories A, B, C (individual property loss) and D but rejected the filing
of 1,326 other late claims in those categories. In addition, the Governing
Council accepted the filing of six late claims in category E (corporate
claims). The Council also set a final deadline of 1 January 1996 for the
continued acceptance of the filing of individual late claims in categories
A, B, C and D.
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