<p>Ban said Assad had conveyed to him in a telephonic conversation that military operations against protesters had stopped and that the UN humanitarian assistance assessment team would be able to visit different places in the country.<br /><br />"This is what he clearly told me when I had the telephone talk with him...It is troubling that he has not kept his word," Ban told reporters here.<br /><br />The UN chief said world leaders have urged Assad to "immediately halt military operations that are killing his own people, and he assured me (he would) do that."<br /><br />Ban said he "sincerely" hoped Assad would pay heed to calls by the international community to bring an end to the months-long violence in his country.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council met for a "special session" today to discuss sending another commission to Syria to investigate possible crimes against humanity in the government’s crackdown on protesters.<br /><br />UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay presented to the Council in Geneva findings of a mission to Syria by her office covering the period from March 15 to July 15.<br /><br />The draft resolution, which the Council is debating, calls on the Syrian authorities to fully cooperate with a new "independent international commission of inquiry" into alleged violations of international law.<br /><br />The commission, to be appointed by the Council, would cover the period from July and report back by November end.<br /><br />It would call on the Syrian government to immediately halt "all human rights violations," including "the continued indiscriminate attacks" on its people.<br /><br />Pillay said more than 2,200 people have been killed since mass protests began in mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed in Syria since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>
<p>Ban said Assad had conveyed to him in a telephonic conversation that military operations against protesters had stopped and that the UN humanitarian assistance assessment team would be able to visit different places in the country.<br /><br />"This is what he clearly told me when I had the telephone talk with him...It is troubling that he has not kept his word," Ban told reporters here.<br /><br />The UN chief said world leaders have urged Assad to "immediately halt military operations that are killing his own people, and he assured me (he would) do that."<br /><br />Ban said he "sincerely" hoped Assad would pay heed to calls by the international community to bring an end to the months-long violence in his country.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council met for a "special session" today to discuss sending another commission to Syria to investigate possible crimes against humanity in the government’s crackdown on protesters.<br /><br />UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay presented to the Council in Geneva findings of a mission to Syria by her office covering the period from March 15 to July 15.<br /><br />The draft resolution, which the Council is debating, calls on the Syrian authorities to fully cooperate with a new "independent international commission of inquiry" into alleged violations of international law.<br /><br />The commission, to be appointed by the Council, would cover the period from July and report back by November end.<br /><br />It would call on the Syrian government to immediately halt "all human rights violations," including "the continued indiscriminate attacks" on its people.<br /><br />Pillay said more than 2,200 people have been killed since mass protests began in mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed in Syria since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>