U.S. welcomes UNHRC resolution on Syria

The U.S. has welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution that called for an independent probe into the massacre in the Syrian town of Houla where more than 100 people were killed last week.

“Our message is clear: to the people of Syria, the world stands by you, and we will not ignore your plight in the face of ongoing violence; to the Assad regime, the time has come to end the flagrant abuses of the human rights of your people and to step aside so that Syria can transition peacefully and democratically,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.

The U.N. resolution calls for an in-depth investigation by the independent international Commission of Inquiry on Syria into the massacre in Houla, in which over 100 Syrian civilians were killed, including over 40 children.

In the resolution, the Geneva-based U.N. body deplored the “outrageous killings” and emphasised the continued failure of the Syrian authorities to protect and promote the rights of all Syrians.

The Council called for International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to conduct a “transparent, independent and prompt investigation into violations of international law with a view to hold to account those responsible for widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations, including violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.”

In Oslo, meanwhile, Ms. Clinton urged Russia to stop supplying arms to Syria. Ms. Clinton said that this continuing supply of arms from Russia has in fact, U.S. believes, strengthened the Assad regime. That needs to cease, she said.