New Guinea Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leadership | |
Chair | Frits Sollewijn Gelpke |
Vice-Chair | |
Clerk | J. W. Trouw |
| Seats | 28 |
| Elections | |
| 16 elected | |
| 12 appointed | |
Last election | 1961 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Hollandia | |
TheNew Guinea Council (Dutch:Nieuw-Guinea Raad) was aunicameral representative body formed in theDutch overseas territory ofNetherlands New Guinea in 1961.
Prior to the formation of the New Guinea Council, there existed a Council of Directors, which consisted of the heads of government departments. Dutch authorities initially began to establish local government bodies such as village councils and regional councils.
The New Guinea Council was inaugurated on 5 April 1961 with 28 council members, 16 of whom had been elected inelections held during January 1961. The council's inauguration was attended by representatives fromAustralia,France, theNetherlands,New Zealand, theUnited Kingdom and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of theUnited States.[1][2]
The council was requested to make its wishes onself-determination known within a year.[3] During an emergency session the council drafted a nationalmanifesto and symbols including theMorning Star flag for a new national identity to be known as "West Papua".[4]
Following the August 1962New York Agreement between the governments of theNetherlands andIndonesia, theadministration of Western New Guinea was assumed by theUnited Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) on 1 October 1962. A deliberative body, also known as the New Guinea Council, was convened by the United Nations administrator on 4 December 1962[5] and disbanded on 1 May 1963 when Western New Guinea was handed over to Indonesia.
Frits Sollewijn Gelpke was Council Chairman andNicolaas Jouwe was Vice-Chair. J. W. Trouw was the Clerk of the Council.
The council building was built inHollandia between 1960 and 1961. Currently the building houses the regional legislature ofPapua,People's Representative Council of Papua [id].[6]
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