LIKE the gathering in Gleneagles, the world summit in New York last week elected neatly to sidestep the substantive issues which need to be tackled, if the lot of the poor in the developing world is to be significantly improved.

IT is indicative of the mess that the UN is in that it should establish a rapid reaction force to save works of art from destruction in times of war or natural disaster when it hasn’t yet established such a force to save lives.

EOIN RYAN, MEP, has accurately outlined the current situation in Darfur in his recent letter (‘Sudan must guarantee aid workers’ safety, Irish Examiner, September 17).