193. Editorial Note
On September 26, 1961, Foreign Minister Luns told the U.N. General Assembly that the Netherlands was prepared to transfer control of West New Guinea to the United Nations. He proposed that the United Nations send a commission of inquiry to West New Guinea with a view to organizing a plebiscite to determine Papuan self-determination in accordance with the terms of the U.N. Charter. He also proposed that the United Nations should, at the same time, replace the Netherlands as the trusteeship authority responsible for administration of the territory and its economic development. Luns promised that the Netherlands would continue its financial aid to the territory at the current level of $430 million per year. He urged that Dutch officials in West New Guinea remain there as U.N. officials. This proposal was then submitted on October 9 to the U.N. General Assembly as a draft resolution along with an explanatory memorandum. (U.N. Docs. A/4915 and A/L.354) The text of the proposal is also in Department of State, FE/SPA Files: Lot 65 D 553, 322 WNG Jan.–Dec. 1961.