The United Nations can provide incentives or impose sanctions that deny visas and freeze overseas assets of individuals. The rule of law is essential to democracy. If Indonesia cannot prosecute those responsible for atrocities in East Timor, the United Nations should set up a war crimes panel. It is preferable for the country in crisis to invite a multinational force authorized by the United Nations. There are clear ways of assisting and protecting civilianians in armed conflict, but there are no clear parameters for appropriate humanitarian action.
Preventive diplomacy requires constant improvisation.
However, there is one guiding principle. Humanitarian actions are justified when the emergency gets out of control in an affected country or when the state itself is responsible for the crisis. In today's increasingly interconnected world, territorial frontiers are a diminished defence against international action.