The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Syria, during an emergency session on Friday.

Condemning the violence and atrocities committed, the US and Arab led resolution specified that there should be an "international, transparent, independent and prompt investigation".

Forty-one member states voted in favour of the resolution, including India, whilst Uganda and Ecuador abstained, and three member states voted against it - Russia, China and Cuba. The Phillipines was absent during the vote.

Addressing the UNHRC, the representative of the UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay, said:

"I reiterate my call to the government of Syria to grant the Commission of Inquiry, full and un-impeded access to the country, to carry out investigations into all human rights violations including the Houla event."

"These acts may amount to crimes against humanity and other international crimes, and may be indicative of a pattern of widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations that have been perpetrated with impunity,"

"I reiterate that those who order, assist or fail to stop attacks on civilians, are individually criminally liable for their actions."

"Other states have a duty to do all they can to prevent and prosecute perpetrators of international crimes."

"Once again I urge the Security Council to consider referring the case of Syria to the International Criminal Court."

Speaking to reporters after the vote, the US ambassador to Geneva, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, said,

"We believe our role at the Human Rights Council is to provide the basis for a case that would be brought on crimes against humanity."
 
"This would provide a basis for the Security Council to refer the matter to the ICC."