UNITED NATIONS / WASHINGTON – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the Security Council on the situation in Libya Thursday afternoon, urging the international community to speak in one voice in implementing the recently passed resolution on Libya.

Resolution 1973,, passed on March 18, authorized the establishment of no fly zone over Libya. Ban spoke at the Council on the request of the Resolution which requires him to report to the Council within 7 days Resolution was adopted.

Ban said the resolution reaffirmed Libya's sovereignty and territorial integrity and explicitly foreclosed any "occupation" of Libyan territory.

"I expect the international community to continue to exercise full diligence in avoiding civilian casualties and collateral damage," he said.

Members on the Council differed on the resolution. During a closed consultation Thursday, some expressed concerns about the civilian casualties.

Ban said the resolution aimed to "protect the civilian population" in Libya, instead of "aiming to change any regime."

He said there was no evidence the Libya authorities have instituted a ceasefire as they claimed.

Currently on the ground, more than 330,000 people have fled the country, while those who remain are under siege, said Ban, adding there is an urgent need for humanitarian access.

"Given the critical situation on the ground, it is imperative that we continue to act with speed and decision," stressed Ban.

Also on Thursday, NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the 28-nation alliance had reached a deal to take over responsibility to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.

"We have done all the necessary preparations so we can take over in a couple of days," said Rasmussen in a CNN interview.

On Friday, UN Special Envoy for Libya Abdel-Elah al-Khatib will attend a meeting convened by the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will meet with representatives from both the Libyan government and the opposition aiming to reach a ceasefire and political solution.

The US and nine other countries voted for the resolution, while China and four others abstained.

The difference stance of China and the US has raised speculation that this will affect the US-China relations.

Douglas Paal, vice president for Studies and Director of Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said since there are divided views among Americans on the military action, China's opposition will not constitute a new issue between Washington and Beijing.

"It could become an issue if there were a unanimous view on the need for involvement in the US, but that situation does not exist," he told China Daily.

Charles Freeman, who holds the Freeman Chair in China Studies at Center for Strategic and International Studies said the military actions against Libya will not have lasting impact on US-China relations.

"The matter is such a source of such domestic political contention I doubt that any systemic action can be sustained. I can understand the concern from China about this kind of intervention, but I don't think there will be a lasting impact on US-China relations," he said.

Li Baodong, the Council's president for March said that the continuing deterioration of the situation in Libya was of great concern to China.

"China has stressed that action of the Security Council should comply with the Charter of the UN and the norms of international law, respect the sovereignty, independence, unification and territorial integrity of Libya, and help resolve the current crisis in Libya through peaceful means," said Li.