When judgments of domestic courts are not executed; they can be enforced by means of pressure against individuals and other such entities.

The same does not apply to international decisions especially when they have been meted against States as is the case with judgments of international human rights bodies.

In the international arena, States can deploy the protection armor of their sovereign more than they can do within the municipal sphere. As a consequence, the holders of international decisions can face the challenge of inexecution on the part of States.

Enforcement mechanisms set out within some intergovernmental organisations have been more effective than others. The European Court of Human Rights Council of Ministers model has been praised yet it has faced significant challenges from some States. In Africa, the ECOWAS Court of Justice non compliance litigation model has born little result even though the system is said to face less non execution than continental counterparts.

From an empirical perspective, political factors play a great deal in why and how States do or do not implement decisions of international human rights bodies.