Although it is situated far from the UN’s HQ in New York, the International Court of Justice – based in The Hague, in  the Netherlands – is as integral a part of the United Nations as the Security Council or General Assembly.

Conor Lennon from UN News caught up with Philippe Gautier, the newly appointed Registrar of the ICJ, and former Registrar of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, during a visit to headquarters in October.

He started by asking Mr. Gautier to explain the crucial role the ICJ plays on the world stage.