GOVERNING COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMISSION CONCLUDES SIXTIETH SESSION

The Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, under the Presidency of Ambassador Tassos Kriekoukis (Greece), has today concluded its sixtieth session. Representatives of Kuwait, Iraq, and India addressed the fifteen-member Governing Council at its opening plenary meeting.

The Council considered a number of reports and information notes prepared by the secretariat on matters such as the activities of the Commission during the last quarter; distribution by Governments and international organisations of payments to successful claimants; the transparency of the distribution process and the return of undistributed funds; continuing efforts to identify erroneous awards; and corrections of awards pursuant to article 41 of the Provisional rules for claims procedure.

During the session the Council heard a briefing from the secretariat on the status of the implementation of the follow-up programme to monitor the technical and financial aspects of the environmental remediation projects approved by the Council at its fifty-eighth session in December 2005. The Council also heard a briefing on the results of the fourth regional meeting on environmental rehabilitation. This meeting which was held in Geneva on 2 May 2006, was attended by claimant Governments (Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia), having been awarded compensation for environmental damage, and by Iraq, as well as the UNCC in an observer capacity. The participating Governments agreed on the text of a draft Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a regional environmental rehabilitation advisory group which has been submitted to their respective Governments for approval. This group, which is independent of the UNCC process, is being established to enhance regional cooperation on the remediation of environmental damages and assist Iraq in the development and financing of its environmental and remediation requirements.

The Council decided to hold its next regular session on 31 October and 2 to 3 November 2006.

The next payment to successful claimants pursuant to decision 256 is scheduled to be made in July 2006. There are now 59 approved claims (in categories D, E and F), with a total outstanding balance of approximately $ 31.9 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 $ 20.6 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.