Letter: No faith in Nato

Sir: George Thomas (letter, 25 March) points to article 2.4 of the UN Charter. As the preamble to the Charter demonstrates, this was a document that reinforces the notion of the sovereign state. In an age of the global economy and supra-national companies, large trading blocs, the Internet and widespread travel, is it not time to question whether the concept of the sovereign or nation state has had its day?

Furthermore, ought not the UN Charter to reflect that the concept of fundamental human rights should take precedence over that of the sovereign state?

Am I alone in thinking it a little odd that on the day that the House of Lords held that a former head of state could stand trial for crimes committed against his own people, some should question the attempt to prevent a current head of state from committing similar atrocities?

Can we really be expected to wait until President Milosevic decides to come to London for a spot of Christmas shopping before we take action?