One of the main problems of the implementation of rules of international law, whether they are created at a multilateral or at a bilateral level, is the confluence of the decision making process at both the international and the national level. Especially within international organizations, that do not have a supranational structure, the activation of the enforcement process needs a series of decisions at the national level, which are mostly beyond the effective control of the international body concerned.

In the first decades of this century a new concept appeared in public international law, namely, effectiveness. A survey of present literature shows that no general agreement has yet been reached as to the scope of this concept. Some writers regard effectiveness as a basic principle of public international law while others tend to give it a more moderate place.

In 1951 when the Dutch Parliament discussed the Bills concerning Allocation of Enemy Property and Amendment to the provisions of the Decree on Enemy Property, few members stood up for the German farmers who held land in the Netherlands along the border. This matter would have meant little to most Dutchmen. Yet, considering the delicate nature of border disputes, it was important for the Netherlands. Below I shall discuss on the subject of border lands, more specifically those along the eastern border.