 At the domestic level, law is enforced through both executive power (police, tax authorities, regulatory bodies, etc) and judicial power. International law does not benefit from a comprehensive system of executive and judicial enforcement that is comparable to what developed domestic legal systems can offer. The UN, as the principal international organization, does perform a unique role particularly in the area of collective peace and security; and its most powerful organ, the Security Council, is empowered to adopt decisions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter that are binding on all member states of the UN and can involve the use of military force. The Security Council has used its enforcement powers since the end of the Cold War, most notably during the First Gulf War in 1990–1991 when it authorized its member States to use force to liberate Kuwait following Iraq’s aggression and invasion. But there are many examples of grave breaches of international law that are not met with any enforcement action by the Security Council. As for judicial enforcement, international law lacks a centralized dispute settlement mechanism that operates independently of the consent of states. It is true, however, that the role of the International Court of Justice and the proliferation of other international courts and tribunals—with jurisdiction over areas such as human rights, trade, investment, international crimes—mean that, in practice, international law does benefit today from a far greater measure of enforcement through courts and tribunals than ever in the past.