UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the UN investigative team for crimes of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq to respect the country's sovereignty.

"UNITAD should fully respect Iraq's national sovereignty and its jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

UNITAD stands for the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State.

It should play an active role in strengthening the capacity building of the Iraqi government so that it could hold terrorist organizations accountable, he told the Security Council.

"We hope the investigative team will, in strict compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and its (own) mandate and terms of reference, engage in close consultations with the Iraqi government and the parties concerned, take comprehensive measures to strengthen its capacity for evidence collection and effective field investigations, so as to play an active role in bringing terrorists to justice, in containing terrorism and preventing the comeback and spread of terrorism," he said.

Whether UNITAD is able to tackle new challenges will depend on its ability to maintain its unique status as an impartial and independent entity and to secure the support of the Iraqi people, he said.

At present, Iraq is committed to economic recovery, peace and stability, reconstruction, and reconciliation, all of which are at a critical stage. China hopes that the Iraqi government will continue to pursue an inclusive political solution, further promote economic development, improve its people's livelihoods, and speed up the reconstruction process, thus achieving new progress in its efforts to bring lasting peace and security, said Wu.

Terrorist activities in Iraq have caused large numbers of civilian casualties and gravely threaten the peace and security of Iraq, the region, and the whole world. How to deal with the large numbers of foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq, as well as their families, deserves urgent attention of the international community, he said.

China commends the tireless efforts of the Iraqi government and people to combat terrorism and support Iraq's efforts to bring terrorists to justice in accordance with relevant domestic laws, said Wu.

China takes note of the latest UNITAD report and appreciates the efforts of the team in face of the many difficulties. China supports cooperation between UNITAD and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq in providing support to the survivors and victims of terrorist acts in Iraq, he said.

Terrorism remains a grave threat to international peace and security, and combating international terrorism remains an arduous task. The activities of terrorist forces, including their attempts to spread extremist ideology, pose major challenges to the social stability and development of the member states. The international community should continue to strengthen cooperation, adopt unified standards, and take effective measures to resolutely crack down on all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council, said the Chinese envoy.

China stands ready to work with the international community to promote further progress in international cooperation to combat terrorism, he said.

The Security Council was briefed on Tuesday by Karim Khan, head of the UN investigative team tasked with supporting Iraqi efforts to hold the Islamic State accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence of its war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.