The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned what it calls "widespread and systematic violations of human rights" by the Syrian government, and reiterated the "urgent" need to address the humanitarian situation in the country. At a session Thursday in Geneva, the council adopted a resolution calling on President Bashar al-Assad's government to immediately halt "all human rights violations" and attacks against civilians. It highlighted the recent deaths of Syrian and foreign journalists, as well as interference in people getting access to medical care.
Russia, China and Cuba voted against the measure. The U.S. envoy to the council, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, said there is an "overwhelming international consensus" on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and that "the vote speaks for itself." Russia and China have twice vetoed U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning the Syrian government for its deadly crackdown on a nearly year-long opposition uprising.