The UN Compensation Commission announced that it had transferred the final compensation payment to Kuwait on 13 January. This moment marks a historic achievement for the United Nations and for effective multilateralism, as stated by Michael Gaffey, Ireland's ambassador to the UN in Geneva and chairman of the board of directors of the commission. The Security Council resolution adopted on Tuesday states that Iraq has complied with its international obligations, and that no further complaints will be made to the commission. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was one of the most internationalized conflicts in the world.
With the final payment made on January 13, all compensations have been paid in full, as reported by the UN Office in Geneva in a press release. The governing council adopted its final decision on Feb. 9 stating that the Iraqi government had complied with its international obligations to compensate for losses and damages suffered as a direct result of its illegal invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told the council that his country has concluded “an important 30-year chapter and is embarking on a new chapter in its diplomatic, political and economic journey.
Kuwaiti ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution and praised “such a historic achievement of the council in relation to its work on compensation. Al-Otaibi said that the world must not forget that establishing compensation and addressing the impact of aggression “are key to building trust, reconciliation and clearing up any outstanding issues that in the future may hinder the re-establishment and establishment of relations and achieve the common interests of states concerned. Iraq has just finished paying war reparations to Kuwait for the notorious invasion of Saddam Hussein. This moment comes 31 years after the conclusion of the Gulf War. During that period, Iraq had to finance the reconstruction of their own country while money flowed into Kuwait. The Security Council resolution adopted on Tuesday marks an important milestone in Iraq's journey towards peace and stability.
It is a testament to effective multilateralism and a reminder that justice can be achieved through international cooperation.
