(Vatican Radio) The U.N. high commissioner for human rights on Monday called on the
Security Council to strengthen the suspended U.N. observer mission in Syria and renewed
her call for the country's conflict to be referred to the International Criminal Court
in The Hague. The conflict in Syria has killed more than 14,000 people since the
revolt began in March 2011, according to some estimates. The fighting has grown increasingly
militarized in recent months, with rebel forces launching attacks and ambushes on
regime targets.
The UN human rights chief Navi Pillay told the Security Council
on Monday there have been violations by both the Syrian government and the opposition
that rise to the level of crimes against humanity.
“Hundreds remain trapped
in and the old city of Homs due to increasing use of heavy weapons and continuing
armed clashes and OHCHR and the independent commission of inquiry in Syria have documented
serious human rights violations by both government and the opposition forces,” she
said.
The 300-member U.N. mission in Syria repeatedly came under fire before
the U.N. suspended it last month, and its future is not clear.
Pillay said
the mission's presence in Syria remains vital, but France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard
Araud said Syria will remain too dangerous for U.N. observers until a political process
gets under way.
``The mission itself can't stop the violence, so we need a
political process'' he said. ``If by any chance there is a political process, the
observers will be necessary and useful. If not, we will have to look at the options
of closing or downgrading it.''
Araud also said opposition to sanctions against
Syria by some members of the Security Council will prevent the conflict from being
referred to the International Criminal Court, as Pillay has suggested.
"As
France is concerned it's very clear we are very much in favour of referring Syria
to the ICC. The problem is that it will have to be part of, I guess, a global understanding
of the Council and I do think that for the moment we have not yet reached this point."
Friends
of Syria, the contact group of countries and NGO’s which is attempting to find a solution
to the Syrian crisis, meets on Friday in Paris.