Madam, - You are quite right to say that the United Nations should sometimes transcend "national memberships" or state sovereignty in the name of all mankind (Editorial, January 3rd).
Kofi Annan's successor as secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, has said he will prioritise Darfur amid the world's many crises. This is welcome, but in many ways an unavoidable conclusion, given that Darfur has around 2.5 million people displaced by fighting and hundreds of thousands dead.
However, with Sudan retaining the backing of China and Russia at the UN Security Council, and the other members blowing hot and cold on this issue, Ban Ki-Moon needs to outline just how he will harness the international will necessary to force the Sudanese Government to relent and allow a large and effective peacekeeping operation in Darfur.
The current proposal to send a small detachment to supplement the African Union force is not enough. And it is too little too late, coming after years of UN failure on Darfur.
There has been enough time spent deliberating upon the UN route. Nato acted outside the UN after hundreds of thousands of Kosovars fled Serbian army and paramilitary forces in 1999, and the UN Security Council would not agree to act. And the Nato action worked.
The doctrine of state sovereignty cannot be used as a defence when massive human destruction is taking place by one of the national members of the UN. Ban Ki-Moon needs to be a general, as you stated, and do whatever is needed to stop the bloodshed in Darfur. - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA, CEO, Goal, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.