Amos told the UN Security Council debate session that she is also concerned about the violence leveled against civilians in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, and at the loss of life and other human rights violations in those countries.
UN members failed earlier this month to agree on a European- and US-backed statement condemning Syrian violence against peaceful protesters.
Britain, France and Germany pressed the Security Council to respond, but Russia said security forces were also killed and the actions don’t threaten international peace.
China and India called for political dialogue and peaceful resolution of the crisis.
A Syrian human rights group reported Tuesday that more than 750 civilians have been killed in the country since an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began in mid-March.
British Ambassador Phil Parham told the meeting that his country “utterly condemns violence perpetrated by the Syrian security forces against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests.” He said Britain welcomed a recent resolution based by the UN Human Rights Council condemning the use of lethal violence on peaceful protesters in Syria.
German Ambassador Peter Wittig added that his delegation has urged the European Union to impose “restrictive measures against Syria and persons responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria.” “We strongly urge the Syrian government to end its military repression against its own population and to respect human rights,” Wittig said. “Those responsible for the killings should be held accountable.” Amos also told the council that the use of cluster munitions in Libya and massive shelling in Ivory Coast this year underlined the high humanitarian cost of using explosive weapons in densely populated areas. She added that civilians also have borne the brunt of fighting in Somalia, Congo, Sudan and Congo.
On the eve of the session, the international aid organization Oxfam released a report saying that the Security Council historically has been inconsistent on protecting civilians.
While in 2010 the council adopted resolutions on countries including Afghanistan, Congo, Chad, Somalia and Sudan, no action was taken on ongoing armed conflicts in Colombia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Yemen or central Africa, Oxfam noted.
“In too many conflicts, the plight of those who are suffering does not even come to the formal attention of the (council),” the report said.
Whether the council acted or failed to act determined to a large extent whether civilians in various situations were protected, the report said.
