Thursday saw five new judges elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at UN Headquarters in New York, a reminder of its central role as the principal judicial organ for the world body.

In addition to disputes brought before the “world court”, intergovernmental bodies can also submit petitions seeking advice on key issues.

That’s according to Philippe Gautier, ICJ Registrar, who highlights that these “advisory opinions” do not deal with a judgement to settle a dispute between nations, but to help bodies such as the General Assembly make important decisions.

Mr. Gautier spoke with UN News’ Jerome Bernard, and started by explaining one of the 18 cases currently on its docket, brought by Ukraine against Russia.