The task of the United Nations Representative in West Irian (UNRWI), Fernando Ortiz-Sanz, was to participate in arrangements for the act of self-determination. West Irian was formerly known as West New Guinea, Irian Jaya, and as of 2012 it is part of Indonesia with special autonomy status.
Included are incoming and outgoing cables, both in code and clear, and correspondence between UNRWI, with many to and from Ortiz-Sanz, with United Nations Headquarters in New York, and the Indonesian government. These concern events in West Irian, and the activities of UNRWI. Also included are inter-office memos between UNRWI members; data concerning the population, geography, and other characteristics of West Irian; and petitions from many individuals and groups in West Irian concerning the issue of self-determination or Indonesian rule. Acknowledgements to the petitions, a registry of petitions, and miscellaneous clippings and other documents are included.
Series consists of correspondence, memoranda, handwritten documents, incoming and outgoing cables, code cables, telegrams, draft reports, meeting reports, final reports, draft manuscripts, statements, summary reports, petitions, translations, instructions, agreements, press clippings, logs, rosters, chronologies, notes, diagrams, statistics, periodicals, resumes, itineraries, and routing slips.
Subjects include but are not limited to the following: Act of Free Choice between Republic of Indonesia and Kindom of Netherlands for West New Guinea; backround materials on West Irian; five year development plan of West Irian; local elections; demographics; local economies; assassination plots; incidents; political detainees; and organization of consultant assemblies.
Correspondents include U Thant, UN Secretary-General; Jernando Ortiz Sanz, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Act of Free Choice, West Irian; Jose Rolz-Bennett, Under Secretary-General of Special Political Affairs; Mohamed Sharif, Director, International Organization, Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia; and Marshall E. Williams, Principal Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer.