ABSTRACT
The continuous shifting of the frontiers in international law and the power realignment in international relations began in the aftermath of the Second World War. These transitions have been marked by the fact that States are no longer the sole actors on the international stage. Side by side with the State, there has been a proliferation of non-State entities, many of which have become signifi - cant international players by displaying their capacity to engage in international relations. This proliferation of non-State actors has signaled a qualitative change in the State-centric international legal system. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognised this departure as early as 1949 in the Reparations case, by maintaining that:
the development of international law has been infl uenced by the requirements of international life and the progressive increase in the collective activities of States has already given rise to instances of action upon the international plane by certain entities which are not States.1
