"The international community bears the great responsibility of extending its support in words and deeds to assist such indispensable reforms. It must do so with dispatch and firmness," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.

She told the UN Human Rights Council that it should remain vigilant over the situation in Libya, despite having taken unprecedented action last Friday through an unanimous resolution that recommended the suspension of Libya.

The 47-member council in Geneva has also ordered an international probe into what it described as possible "crimes against humanity" carried out by Moamer Kadhafi's regime.