GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION CONCLUDES SIXTY-SIXTH SESSION

The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the presidency of Deputy Permanent Representative Brauwers (Belgium), and the vice-presidency of Ambassador Puja (Indonesia) today concluded its sixty-sixth session.

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

At the session, the Council considered a number of reports and information notes prepared by the secretariat on the activities of the Commission since the last session; distribution by Governments and international organisations of payments to successful claimants; the transparency of the distribution process, and the return of undistributed funds. The Council also heard a briefing from the secretariat on the progress made to date by participating claimant Governments under the Follow-up Programme for Environmental Awards as established by decision 258 (2005). That Programme was established to monitor the implementation of approximately $4.3 billion of environmental remediation and restoration projects being undertaken by the Governments of Iran, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia with funds awarded under the F4 category of claims.

The Council decided to hold its next regular session on 28-29 April 2009.

The session just concluded was the last session for the delegations of Belgium (President), Indonesia (Vice-President), Italy, Panama and South Africa, whose terms of office end on 31 December 2008. As of 1 January 2009, the new members of the Security Council, Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda, will be joining the Governing Council for two-year terms.

The next payment to successful claimants pursuant to decision 256 is scheduled to be made on 29 October 2008. There are now sixteen approved claims (in categories E and F), with a total outstanding balance of approximately US$27 billion, that have not been paid in full. The overall amount of compensation made available to date by the United Nations Compensation Commission is approximately US$25.3 billion.


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 website located at www.uncc.ch.


For use of the information media; not an official record

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