China wants UN team to respect Iraq's sovereignty: Envoy

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 UN, the Xinhua news agency reported.

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.