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Experts Appointed to UN Unit for Palestinian Claims Against Israeli Barrier

Ahead of Monday's activation of the United Nations unit that will register claims for damage caused by Israel's construction of a barrier in occupied Palestinian territory, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sga1064.doc.htm">appointed three international compensation experts to guide its operations.

Appointed to the Board of the United Nations Register of Damage, the Secretariat for which is based at the UN office in Vienna, are: Harumi Hori of Japan, Matti Paavo Pellonpää from Finland and Michael F. Raboin of the United States.

The purpose of the Register of Damage is to document damage incurred to Palestinian homes, business and agricultural holdings. That documentation will be used for possible future international adjudication, not to settle claims directly, according to the Register's mandate, which was set out in a December 2006 General Assembly resolution.

The Board, among other responsibilities, will determine eligibility criteria, categories of damage and the procedure of registration of claims, and has the ultimate authority to accept or reject inclusion of such claims in the Register.

The Register was created in response to a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which concluded that Israel violated various international laws by constructing the barrier, which, it said, destroyed homes, businesses and agriculture.

Source: United Nations