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International law is the body of legal rules that apply .
between sovereign states and such other entities as have been granted .
international personality (status acknowledged by the international .
community). The rules of international law are of a normative .
character, that is, they prescribe towards conduct, and are .
potentially designed for authoritative interpretation by an .
international judicial authority and by being capable of enforcement .
by the application of external sanctions. The International Court of .
Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, which .
succeeded the Permanent Court of International Justice after World .
War II. Article 92 of the charter of the United Nations states: .
The International Court of justice shall be the principal .
judicial organ of the United nations. It shall function in accordance .
with the annexed Statute, which is based upon the Statute of the .
Permanent court of International Justice and forms an integral part of .
the present Charter. .
The commands of international law must be those that the .
states impose upon themselves, as states must give consent to the .
commands that they will follow. It is a direct expression of raison .
d'etat, the "interests of the state", and aims to serve the state, as .
well as protect the state by giving its rights and duties. This is .
done through treaties and other consensual engagements which are .
legally binding. .
The case-law of the ICJ is an important aspect of the UN's .
contribution to the development of international law. It's judgements .
and advisory opinions permeates into the international legal community .
not only through its decisions as such but through the wider .
implications of its methodology and reasoning. .
The successful resolution of the border dispute between .
Burkina Faso and Mali in the 1986 Frontier Dispute case illustrates .
the utility of judicial decision as a means of settlement in .