About the Commission

The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States (FCSC) is a quasi-judicial, independent agency within the Department of Justice which adjudicates claims of U.S. nationals against foreign governments, under specific jurisdiction conferred by Congress, pursuant to international claims settlement agreements, or at the request of the Secretary of State. Funds for payment of the Commission's awards are derived from congressional appropriations, international claims settlements, or liquidation of foreign assets in the United States by the Departments of Justice and the Treasury.

The FCSC’s authorizing statutes are the International Claims Settlement Act, 22 U.S.C. 1621 et seq., and the War Claims Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 4101-4147.

The FCSC's regulations may be found at Parts 500 - 509 of Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, see below.

Part	Headings
Subchapter A--Rules of Practice
500	Appearance and Practice
501	Subpoenas, Depositions, and Oaths
502	Public Information - Freedom of Information Act
503	Privacy Act and Government in the Sunshine Regulations
Subchapter C--Receipt, Administration, and Payment of Claims under the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949, As Amended, and Related Acts
509	Filing of Claims and Procedures Therefor

History

The FCSC was established in 1954 (Reorganization Plan No. 1 (22 U.S.C. § 1622 note)), when it assumed the functions of two predecessor agencies: the War Claims Commission and the International Claims Commission. The FCSC and its predecessor agencies have successfully completed 43 claims programs to resolve claims against various countries, including the Federal Republic of Germany, Iran, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Italy, Cuba, China, East Germany, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Egypt, Panama, and Albania. In all, more than 660,000 claims have been adjudicated, with awards totaling in the billions of dollars.

Updated April 10, 2023