UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Thursday that to better protect civilians in armed conflicts, countries should foster a sense of community of shared future.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), made the remarks at a Security Council debate on the protection of civilians in war zones.

"Countries must foster a sense of community of shared future and promote the concept of global governance based on extensive consultations, joint contributions and shared benefits in order to build a peaceful and safe international environment," he said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been actively campaigning for initiatives on conflict prevention and durable peace, Liu said, adding that the international community should be working "with one mind implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and tackle the deep-rooted causes of conflict."

"It is necessary to advocate a culture of peace and promote national reconciliation," he said.

The ambassador called on the Security Council to effectively shoulder the responsibility of maintaining peace and security by promoting dialogues and negotiations, as well as sustaining efforts to find political solutions to hot-spot issues.

Liu noted that parties to conflicts must respect the international humanitarian law and implement relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

He also stressed the necessity of enhancing information exchange and policy alignment so as to help war-raging countries better protect their civilians.

"We must do a good job of providing humanitarian assistance in armed conflicts," he said.

"China hereby pays tribute to all medical workers and humanitarian relief agencies for their humanitarian spirit in healing the wounded and rescuing the dying in armed conflicts," said the envoy.

Guterres called for actions Thursday to ensure the protection of civilians in areas of conflict, including full respect for international humanitarian law.

The secretary general also called for safeguarding health facilities and medical and humanitarian personnel, an central issue of Thursday's session chaired by Uruguay.