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15:24 GMT
GENEVA, April 5 (KUNA) -- Chairman of the Public Authority for Assessment
of Compensation for Damages Resulting from the Iraqi Aggression (PAAC) Khaled
Ahmad Al-Mudhaf urged here Tuesday head of the United Nations Compensation
Commission (UNCC) to follow up on special arrangements of independent auditors.
Al-Mudhaf urged the Chairman of the UN Compensation Commission, subsidiary
organ of the UN Security Council with a mandate is to process claims and pay
compensation for losses and damage suffered as a direct result of Iraq's
unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait, to follow up such arrangements
according to the blueprint set by UN Resolution 1956 to the mechanisms of post
Development Fund.
Further, Al-Mudhaf said in Kuwait's address before the 71st session of the
board of UN Compensation Commission that, "maintaining such observation
ensures that the new mechanism set by Iraq is transparent, and can be checked,
and also ensures maintaining payments made to Kuwait from the Compensations
Fund regardless of Iraq's management of these funds."
He also made clear that remaining sums of money which should be paid to
Kuwait from the Compensations Fund amount to USD 21 billion, though that the
efforts made by UN Compensation Commission, and Kuwait's abiding by applying
what was agreed upon through holding a meeting with the Iraqi side to discuss
such matter.
Though he said that this, "did not lead except to holding one meeting only
in the Jordanian capital of Amman in May 2009, but no other meeting was held
to further mull the matter or the proposal put forward by Kuwait as an
alternative option."
Al-Mudhaf also stressed the role played by UN Compensation Commission and
its executive director in holding such meetings and facilitating talks between
Iraq and Kuwait, asserting that, "the State of Kuwait is ready to discuss the
topic of remaining sums of money due to it through such mechanism and under
the UN patronage."
He also pointed out that Kuwait accepted the invitation which the executive
director made to both governments to attend a technical meeting that aims at
determining and discussing topics and the possibilities of finding solutions,
noting in the meantime that the Government of Iraq, "could not positively
respond so far to such invitation."
Al-Mudhaf asserted that guaranteeing the repayment of all remaining sums of
money due to Kuwait is the responsibility of the board of UN Compensations
Commission according to its main tasks, noting that Kuwait is willing to
consult with Iraq under the sponsorship of the commission which should not
spare efforts till the whole sum of money is being paid, and till another
agreement is concluded between Kuwait and Iraq.
In the meantime, Al-Mudhaf made clear that Kuwait's program goes from the
stage of planning to the stage of execution in coincidence with some
significant internal changes inside the Kuwait's National Focal Point, the
body supervising projects related to environmental remediation, regarding
running the program with Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) being
assigned to offer technical support to NFP.
He also stressed the strong cooperation between Kuwait, independent
auditors, and the UN Compensation Commission as "a decisive thing to ensure
the continued progress of the program."
Though he said that under such conditions, "Kuwait will not be able to
practically achieve the minimum of criteria by the end of 2012, and that it
will need further time as it feels that it was put in a position that runs
counter to its interests with the commission's board declaring its decision on
the follow-up program."
Al-Mudhaf pointed out that it will be fair on the part of UN Commission to
give more time to KISR to put forward its proposals in order to make a more
informed decision in the coming session.
The 71st session of the UN Compensations Commission kicked off today and
will last till the seventh of April in the presence of the representatives of
UN Security Council member states, concerned states and the Kuwaiti delegation
is led by Minister of Oil, and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad
Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. (end)
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