.png)
More than 8,000 killed in Syria unrest – UN
More than 8,000 people have died since anti-government protests erupted in Syria a year ago, a UN official says.
Efforts by Hillary Clinton and Ban Ki Moon to condemn Syria's Assad have been blocked by Russia and China inside the United Nations.
UN General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser said many women and children were among the victims.
His comments come as the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, is to meet Syrian opposition in Turkey.
In a separate development, a human rights group accused Syria of laying landmines along its borders with Lebanon and Turkey.
The Human Rights Watch warned that the planting of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines would cause civilian casualties for years to come.
Damascus has not publicly commented on the claim.
Annan is due to meet members of the opposition Syrian National Council in Turkey shortly. He stressed that humanitarian access to violence affected areas and future political dialogue were a priority.
But after Monday's talks with Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Annan admitted that the diplomatic process would take time, describing the situation in Syria as "very complex".
Violence continued across Syria, with activists reporting that at least 47 people were killed in an attack by government militia in the city of Homs.
Women and children are among those reported to have been tortured and killed on Sunday night in the neighbourhood of Karm el-Zeytoun. The Syrian government acknowledged the deaths, but blamed "armed terrorists".
Homs has been under assault for weeks as government forces have tried to root out rebel fighters. Parts of the city are devastated.
On Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the international community to speak with one voice on Syria. Clinton told the UN Security Council that Syria's "horrific campaign of violence" had "shocked the conscience of the world".
Russia and China have blocked resolutions condemning President Assad.
In a clear reference to Moscow and Beijing, she appealed to the international community to "say with one voice - without hesitation or caveat - that the killing of innocent Syrians must stop and a political transition must begin".
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the situation in Syria remained a "grave concern" but warned that change in the Arab world "must not be achieved by misleading the international community or manipulating the Security Council".
