Liu Jieyi (2nd L, front), China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks during a General Assembly event on the protection of wildlife at the UN headquarters in New York, March 3, 2017. Liu Jieyi on Friday called on international community to step up efforts to combat illegal trade in wildlife through law enforcement. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)

UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday urged the international community to scale up cooperation to better protect cultural heritage in conflict areas.

Addressing an open meeting of the UN Security Council on the protection against destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups in situations of armed conflicts, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in this regard.

"The international community needs to scale up its support for countries in conflict areas, cut off the channels for terrorist groups smuggling and trafficking cultural heritage" in a joint effort to prevent cultural heritage from harms of conflicts, said the ambassador.

Efforts should be stepped up to support conflict areas to build up their national capacity of protection, said the ambassador, calling on countries in conflict areas to formulate relevant protection policies, establish early warning mechanisms, and enhance capacity building for the protection of cultural heritage in armed conflict.

"The international community, while respecting the sovereignty of countries in conflict areas, needs to provide constructive support, and fully respect the ownership of all cultural heritage," Liu said.

"Terrorism has become the main threat to cultural heritage in conflict areas," he noted, urging the international community to implement Resolution 2347, maximize the role of relevant Council mechanisms, build an information network, and resolutely crack down on terrorist activities to destroy their smuggling and trafficking of cultural heritage.

"International cooperation should be further strengthened," he said.

All countries should strengthen cooperation in information sharing and law enforcement in the fight against destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups, said the ambassador.