Technical Assistance in Assessment of Claims Against Iraq for Environmental Damage in Kuwait and the Gulf countries.
Lalive & Partners (Lawyers) & the State of Iraq
The project team, working with Burgeap of France, assessed claims made against Iraq for environmental damage caused during the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait. Environmental claims with a value of US $83 billion were submitted to the United Nations Claims Commission (UNCC) by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Jordan for damage to the marine and coastal environment, rangelands, soil and groundwater, forestry, cultural resources, public health and natural resources.
SKM was responsible for project technical direction, management and strategy, spatial analysis, assessment of damage to marine and coastal resources, desert and rangelands and natural resources. SKM established a project team in Geneva and a project extranet allowing the whole team to access all project documentation, spatial and other information from Iraq, UK, France, Australia and other remote locations by a dispersed project team.
In addition to assessment of the technical basis of the claims, the team provided alternative programmes for remediation of damage and costs for these. Our analysis of the claims and our proposed alternative programmes were presented at the Oral Proceedings of the UNCC. Several SKM staff appeared as expert witnesses before the UNCC Panel of international lawyers responsible for determining the validity of the claims and the awards to be made.