United Nations Temporary Executive Authority

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West New Guinea
West-Nieuw-Guinea (Dutch)
Nugini-Barat (Indonesian)
1962–1963
UN emblem blue.svg
Emblem
LocationWestPapua.svg
Location of West New Guinea in Oceania
Status Subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly [1]
Capital Hollandia [2]
Common languages Dutch
English
Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Administrator 
 19621963
Jalal Abdoh
Historical era Cold War
 Established
1 October 1962
 Disestablished
1 May 1963
Currency Dutch New Guinean gulden
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Morning Star flag.svg Dutch New Guinea
Indonesia Flag of Indonesia.svg

United Nations Administered West New Guinea refers to the period between 1 October 1962 and 1 May 1963 when Western New Guinea was administered by the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) in accordance with in article two of the New York Agreement reached between the governments of the Netherlands and Indonesia in August 1962.

Contents

This was the first time in its history that the United Nations assumed direct administrative responsibility for a territory (as opposed to monitoring or supervising). The UN was responsible for promoting and safeguarding human rights at the national level. The United Nations would go on to undertake similar missions in Cambodia (UNTAC), Croatia (UNTAES), Kosovo (UNMIK) and East Timor (UNTAET).

History

Western New Guinea became the focus of a political dispute between the Netherlands and Indonesia following the recognition of the independence of the latter. The Indonesian side claimed the territory as its own while the Dutch side maintained that its residents were not Indonesian and that the Netherlands would continue to administer the territory as Dutch New Guinea until it was capable of self-determination.

In May 1959 a United States diplomat proposed a scheme for using a "a special United Nations trusteeship over the territory for a limited number of years, at the end of which time sovereignty would be turned over to Indonesia"; [3] and in March 1961 the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta asserted "the Indos once contended that UN trusteeship would be anathema under any circumstances. Now, although they have not gone so far as to be willing to call a trusteeship a trusteeship, they talk in terms of "one or two years" of some kind of interregnum as being acceptable." [4] The Netherlands refused to directly transfer the colony to Indonesia and, with Operation Trikora underway, requested the UN dictate self-determination rights in 1962. [5] On 15 August, Indonesia and The Netherlands signed the New York Agreement, which promulgated a transfer via a temporary United Nations administration.

The United Nations General Assembly approved the agreement and accepted administration on 21 September in General Assembly resolution 1752. [6] The UN administration took effect on 1 October 1962.

The transfer of authority took place on 1 May 1963 and West New Guinea became a province of Indonesia known as West Irian (Irian Barat). [7] It was agreed that following the transfer of authority Elias Jan Bonai, a member of the New Guinea Council, would be appointed as the first Indonesian Governor.[ citation needed ] It later evolved into the present-day provinces of Papua, Southwest Papua, Central Papua, South Papua, Highland Papua and West Papua.

Administration

Civil administration

According to the New York Agreement, UNTEA could legislate, appoint government officials, and guarantee law and order. These permissions led to the establishment of a court system, a New Guinea Council and regional councils. [8] An official gazette was established on 1 October 1962. [9] During the seven-month transition period Dutch civil servants and officials were slowly recalled to the Netherlands and were replaced by, UN, local and Indonesian officials.

The New Guinea Council, first elected in January 1961, was reconvened by the administrator on 4 December 1962 and members took new oaths of office, swearing allegiance to UNTEA. The administrator had the power to appoint new members of the council to fill any vacancies that may arise. Eleven regional councils were also established. [10]

Office holders

Administrator

UNTEA was initially led by acting administrator José Rolz-Bennett  [ es ] of Guatemala from 1 October 1962 to 15 November, and then by Jalal Abdoh  [ fa ] of Imperial Iran who served as administrator from 15 November 1962 to 1 May 1963.

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
- José Rolz-Bennett  [ es ]1 October 196215 November 196245 days
1 Djalal Abdoh.jpg Jalal Abdoh  [ fa ]15 November 19621 May 1963167 days


International relations

The governments of the Netherlands, Indonesia and Australia established liaison offices in Hollandia. [11] [12]

Security and law enforcement

In addition to civil administration, the United Nations also had a peacekeeping role through a United Nations Security Force (UNSF). The maximum force strength was 1,500 infantry and 76 aircraft personnel. Pakistan, Canada and United States contributed personnel with Pakistan providing 1,500 troops and the United States and Canada contributing 60 and 16 air force personnel respectively. [13] The locally recruited Papuan Volunteer Corps, established by the Netherlands in 1961, was also placed under UNSF command. [14] The Force Commander for the UNSF was Said Uddin Khan of Pakistan.

Following the departure of Dutch police officers, Philippine officers were initially drafted in as an interim measure, before being replaced by Indonesian officers under UNTEA command. [15]

Postal history

Nineteen postage stamps, as well as some postal stationery items, were issued by UNTEA. These were created by overprinting existing stocks of Netherlands New Guinea issues. [16] At the time packets of all stamps were sold at UN Headquarters by the United Nations Postal Administration and they remain readily available on the retail market.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch New Guinea</span> 1949–1962 Dutch possession in Oceania

Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. It contained what are now Indonesia's six easternmost provinces, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, which were administered as a single province prior to 2003 under the name Irian Jaya, and now comprise the Papua region of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Papua Movement</span> 1963–present separatist movement in Indonesian New Guinea

The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization is an independence movement based on Western New Guinea, seeking liberation of the territory from colonial Indonesian administration. The territory is currently divided into six Indonesian provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, also formerly known as Papua, Irian Jaya and West Irian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Papua (province)</span> Province in Indonesia

West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya Barat, is an Indonesian province located in the land of Papua. It covers most of the two western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea, the eastern half of the Bird's Head Peninsula and the whole of the Bomberai Peninsula, along with nearby smaller islands. The province is bordered to the north by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by Southwest Papua Province, the Halmahera Sea and the Ceram Sea, to the south by the Banda Sea, and to the east by the province of Central Papua and the Cenderawasih Bay. Manokwari is the province's capital and largest city. With an estimated population of 561,403 in mid-2022, West Papua is the least populous province in Indonesia after Southwest Papua, which was a part of West Papua until separated off in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of West Papua</span> Proposed state consisting of the Western New Guinea region

The Republic of West Papua, alternatively known as the Federal Republic of West Papua is a quasi-state consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently part of Indonesia on the continent of Oceania. The region has been part of Indonesia since 1 May 1963 under several names in the following order, West Irian, Irian Jaya, and Papua. Today the region comprises six Indonesian provinces: Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua, West Papua, and Southwest Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Agreement</span> Agreement on resolving Western New Guinea dispute

The New York Agreement is an agreement signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia regarding the administration of the territory of Western New Guinea. The first part of the agreement proposes that the United Nations assume administration of the territory, and a second part proposes a set of social conditions that will be provided if the United Nations exercises a discretion proposed in article 12 of the agreement to allow Indonesian occupation and administration of the territory. Negotiated during meetings hosted by the United States, the agreement was signed on 15 August 1962 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act of Free Choice</span> 1969 referendum in Western New Guinea

The Act of Free Choice was a controversial plebiscite held between 14 July and 2 August 1969 in which 1,025 people selected by the Indonesian military in Western New Guinea voted unanimously in favor of Indonesian control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western New Guinea</span> Region of Indonesia on the island of New Guinea

Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morning Star flag</span> Flag of Netherlands New Guinea and West Papua independence movement

The Morning Star flag was a flag used in Netherlands New Guinea for official purposes in addition to the flag of the Netherlands. It was first raised on 1 December 1961. The territory would come under the administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) on 1 October 1962 and would be transferred to Indonesian control on 1 May 1963. Today, the flag represents the Republic of West Papua, a proposed country consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently administered as part of Indonesia in the continent of Oceania.

This article surveys the postage stamps and postal history of Western New Guinea, particularly in 1949–1963.

The West Irian rupiah was a distinct currency of West Irian between 1963 and 1973. It replaced the West New Guinea gulden at par and was replaced by the Indonesian rupiah at the rate of 1 West Irian rupiah = 18.9 Indonesian rupiah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frans Kaisiepo</span> Papuan politician and Indonesian nationalist

Frans Kaisiepo was a Papuan politician and Indonesian nationalist. He served as the fourth Governor of Papua Province. In 1993, Kaisiepo was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia for his lifelong efforts to unite West Irian with Indonesia. As the representative of Papua province, he was involved in the Malino Conference, where the formation of the United States of Indonesia was discussed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Guinea</span> Island in the Pacific Ocean

New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, with an area of 785,753 km2 (303,381 sq mi). Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the 150-kilometre wide Torres Strait, though both landmasses lie on the same continental shelf, and were united during episodes of low sea level in the Pleistocene glaciations as the combined landmass of Sahul. Numerous smaller islands are located to the west and east. The island's name was given by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez during his maritime expedition of 1545 due to the resemblance of the indigenous peoples of the island to those in the African region of Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua conflict</span> 1962–present separatist conflict in Indonesian New Guinea

The Papua conflict is an ongoing conflict in Western New Guinea (Papua) between Indonesia and the Free Papua Movement. Subsequent to the withdrawal of the Dutch administration from the Netherlands New Guinea in 1962 and implementation of Indonesian administration in 1963, the Free Papua Movement has conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesia through the targeting of its military, police, as well as civilian populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Guinea Council</span>

The New Guinea Council was a unicameral representative body formed in the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Kaisiepo</span>

Viktor Kaisiepo, also spelled Victor Kaisiepo, was a Netherlands New Guinean-born Dutch activist for West Papuan independence and self-determination. His family fled West Papua when its administration was transferred to Indonesia, and he lived in the Netherlands thereafter.

The History of Western New Guinea refers to the history of the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. This region was previously named Irian Jaya. The eastern half of the island is Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postage stamps and postal history of the Dutch East Indies</span>

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Netherlands East Indies, otherwise known as the Dutch East Indies, and which today is known as Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Trikora</span> 1961–1962 Indonesian military operation

Operation Trikora was a combined Soviet-Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Indonesia on 15 August 1962, relinquishing control of Western New Guinea to the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih</span> Military area command of the Indonesian Army

Komando Daerah Militer XVII/Cenderawasih or Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, is a military area command of the Indonesian Army, as the 17th Kodam, which is responsible for the defense of the provinces of Papua, South Papua, Central Papua and Highland Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West New Guinea dispute</span> International conflict

The West New Guinea dispute (1950–1962), also known as the West Irian dispute, was a diplomatic and political conflict between the Netherlands and Indonesia over the territory of Dutch New Guinea. While the Netherlands had ceded sovereignty over most of the Dutch East Indies to Indonesia on 27 December 1949 following an independence struggle, it retained control over its colony on the western half of New Guinea. The Indonesian government claimed this territory as well, on the basis that it had belonged to the Dutch East Indies and that the new Republic of Indonesia was the legitimate successor to the former Dutch colony.

References

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  2. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/unsffacts.html
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Indonesia, Volume XVII; 203. Despatch From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State
  4. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia; 150. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State
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  7. The name used until 3 March 1973.
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  9. Childs, James B. (December 1963). "UNTEA Official Gazette. 1962 numbers 1–9, to 1963, number 17. Official Gazette of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority, West New Guinea, West Irian. (Hollandia, West New Guinea, UNTEA, 1962–63. 5 nos. 62 leaves mimeographed.)". American Political Science Review. 57 (4): 1036. doi:10.1017/S0003055400283470. S2CID   152038960 via Cambridge University Press.
  10. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/unsfbackgr.html
  11. https://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_gruss_9_97_126.pdf
  12. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/unsfbackgr.html#four
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  14. https://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_gruss_9_97_126.pdf
  15. https://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_gruss_9_97_126.pdf
  16. "UNTEA (UNITED NATIONS TEMPORARY EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY)". Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.