US expert appointed board member of UN body

NEW YORK: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ronald J Bettauer of the United States to the three-member Board of the United Nations Register of Damage (UNRoD).
    
Bettauer, a prominent international expert in all aspects of damage claims processing and registration, will replace Michael Raboin who died in April this year, UN spokesperson Michele Montas said on Friday.
    
The UNRoD has been entrusted with recording damages caused due to construction of a separation wall by Israel in Palestine "occupied" territory.
    
The need for the Register was first called for by the General Assembly in a 2004 resolution, after the International Court of Justice concluded Israel violated international laws by constructing the barrier, which destroyed homes, businesses and agriculture.
    
As a policymaking organ, the Board would establish the rules and regulations governing the work of the office of the Register, determine eligibility criteria, categories of damage and the procedure of registration of claims, and have the ultimate authority in determining the inclusion of damage claims in the Register.
    
The Board, which also includes Harumi Hori of Japan and Matti Paavo Pellonpaa of Finland, is expected to meet next month in Vienna.