中文
UNITED NATIONS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday urged the UN team investigating crimes committed by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq to hand over the extremist group's criminal evidence as soon as possible.
China appreciates progress made by the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State (UNITAD) in the past six months, especially the new discoveries regarding the alleged development and use of chemical and biological weapons as well as the destruction of cultural heritage by the IS, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
China also appreciates the active assistance provided by UNITAD in strengthening the capacity building of Iraqi judiciary and supporting the digitization work of Iraqi courts, he told the Security Council.
"While acknowledging the progress, we also hope that the substantial amount of evidence collected by UNITAD will translate into concrete actions to hold terrorists accountable at an early date," said Geng.
When sharing evidence with third countries, UNITAD should obtain prior consent from the Iraqi government and adhere to the principles of transparency and nondiscrimination, he said, adding that China hopes the team will engage in full consultations with Iraq to promptly develop a completion strategy including a timeframe to be submitted for review by the Security Council.
As Iraq continues to be at the forefront of international counterterrorism efforts, the international community should continue to support Iraq in combating terrorism and holding terrorist forces accountable, he said.
