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A/RES/68/182 Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic 2/6 2118 (2013) of 27 September 2013 and the statement of the President of the Council of 2 October 2013,12 Noting the fact that the Syrian Arab Republic has acceded to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction,13 Expressing outrage at the continuing escalation of violence in the Syrian Arab Republic, which has caused more than 100,000 casualties, mostly by conventional weapons, and in particular at the continued widespread and systematic gross violations, as well as abuses, of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving the continued use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardments, such as the indiscriminate use of ballistic missiles and cluster munitions, by the Syrian authorities against the Syrian population, Expressing alarm at the failure of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to protect its population and to implement the relevant resolutions and decisions of United Nations bodies, Expressing grave concern at the spread of extremism and extremist groups, and strongly condemning all human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in the Syrian Arab Republic, Strongly condemning the large-scale use of chemical weapons on 21 August 2013 in the Ghouta area of Damascus, as concluded in the report of the United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic,14 condemning the killing of civilians that resulted from it, affirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, and stressing that those responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable, Noting that the League of Arab States, in its resolution 7667 adopted by the Ministerial Council of the League at its 140th ordinary session on 1 September 2013, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have held the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic fully responsible for the chemical attacks against the Syrian people, which took place in the Ghouta area of Damascus, Recalling the statements made by the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that crimes against humanity are likely to have been committed in the Syrian Arab Republic, stressing that the Syrian authorities have failed to prosecute such serious violations, and noting the repeated encouragement by the High Commissioner that the Security Council refer the situation to the International Criminal Court, Expressing support for the work carried out by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, Strongly condemning the continued border violations from the Syrian Arab Republic into neighbouring countries, which have led to casualties among and injuries to the civilians of those countries, including Syrian refugees, and underlining that such incidents have violated international law and highlighted the _______________ 12 S/PRST/2013/15. 13 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1974, No. 33757. 14 A/67/997-S/2013/553