The United Nations Human Rights Council held an emergency special session on the human rights situation in Syria August 22-23, 2011

The council voted 33-4 to order an investigation into human rights violations committed by Syrian security forces.

"Today's vote at the Human Rights Council is another sign of the growing consensus in the international community that the Assad regime has lost the legitimacy to govern and that Assad himself should step aside," said Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe.