United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attends a U.N. Security Council diplomat meeting on Libya after a vote on a resolution at U.N. headquarters in New York February 26, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - The United Nations suspended Libya's membership of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, expressing deep concern over the situation in the strife-torn country.

The General Assembly "decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya", said the resolution adopted by consensus at the 192-member General Assembly.

Introduced by Lebanon on behalf of African and Middle East countries, the resolution expressed "deep concern about the human rights situation" in Libya - a member of the council since May 2010.

During the council's special session on the Libyan situation, participating members unanimously agreed to send an independent investigation team to Libya.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking before the General Assembly, called on the member states to adopt the resolution and approve the suspension of Libya's membership of the council.

"Today, I urge the General Assembly to act decisively as well," Ban said.

The UN chief told the General Assembly that there are now more than 1,000 dead and thousands injured in the Libya unrest, and he praised the near universal condemnation of Muammar Gadhafi's actions.

"This is our duty to all the men and women who are hoping and struggling to have their rights respected and who are running the greatest risks," said Joseph Deiss, president of the 65th General Assembly session.

"Their hopes must not be dashed," Deiss said.

In the resolution, the General Assembly welcomed the Feb 22 statement by the Arab League, which suspended Libya from its session in light of the situation in the North African country.

It also welcomed the Feb 23 communique issued by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, which decided to send a fact-finding mission to Libya.

After the adoption of the resolution, a representative of Venezuela told the General Assembly that his country had reservations on the decision, saying "the Libyan people must decide their own destiny without foreign interference", reported Xinhua News Agency.

The resolution should not be interpreted as an excuse to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya, he said.

Agence France-Presse reported that although no delegates spoke up for Libya during the brief debate, Venezuela accused the United States of planning an invasion, provoking US fury.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US "applauds" the move by the General Assembly to suspend Libya's membership and reiterated calls for Gadhafi's government to immediately halt its attacks on the opposition.

Wu Miaofa, former counselor with the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, told China Daily that the suspension of Libya's membership of the council was a very severe measure.

"It is a warning to Libya to urge it stop the violence on the opposition and common people and return to negotiations," Wu said.

China is the rotating president of the UN Security Council in March.

China Daily