522

Critchley to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram C32 THE HAGUE, 31 October 1949, 5.40 p.m.

RESTRICTED

The Netherlands Delegation has proposed that the functions of the United Nations Agency in Indonesia after the transfer of sovereignty should be specified. The Commission has taken the view that in the absence of further specific instructions from the Security Council U.N.C.I. will continue its functions in Indonesia under the Security Council resolution [1] of 28th January. The 28th January resolution is flexible enough to cover any eventuality with regard to the future functions of military observers and to provide for United Nations supervision of elections to the Constituent Assembly.

2. The Commission has therefore proposed that the parties should make only a broad reference to its future functions and in particular that the R.T.C. agreements in this respect might follow the wording of the 22nd June agreement [2] that ‘U.N.C.I. or another United Nations Agency shall observe in Indonesia the implementation of agreements reached at the R.T.C.’ This procedure would be a safe one and would not limit the right of the Commission to recommend some other agency to take its place after the transfer of sovereignty should this be considered desirable.

3. Assuming final agreements are reached in the Plenary Session of 2nd November the Commission will remain in the Netherlands for about ten days preparing a report for the Security Council and completing discussions on topics associated with the R.T.C.

agreement such as the early concentration of Netherlands forces in Indonesia. Cochran will then return to the United States for consultation and leave and would only go back to Indonesia in the event of special developments. Herremans will be taking a short leave in Europe and will then probably return to Indonesia until the transfer of sovereignty.

I should like to take leave in Europe and return to Indonesia with Herremans, at least for a short time.

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1 Document 168.

2 See note 7 to Document 521.

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[AA : A3094/1, 2/1]