United Nations (CNN) -- The United Nations' secretary-general called once again Wednesday for a cessation of violence in Syria and for international action. "In Syria, more than 5,000 people are dead. This cannot go on," Ban Ki-moon told reporters during his annual year-end news conference. "In the name of humanity, it is time for the international community to act." Ban told reporters he had given to the U.N. Security Council a report released by the Human Rights Council earlier this month detailing widespread abuses by the Syrian government. U.N. action on Syria has remained deadlocked in the Security Council, where China and Russia, among others, remain skeptical about the need for them to become involved. In October, the two countries issued a rare double veto of a toothless resolution condemning the violence in Syria.
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"It is time for the international community to act" in Syria, Ban Ki-moon says
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The United Nations played "essential role in Libya," he says
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Ban draws a parallel between Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring
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"These changes of regime were done by the people, not by the intervention of any foreign forces or the @placeholder," Ban said of the Arab Spring.
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He said he was "encouraged" by the @placeholder's use of the responsibility to protect principle.
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"I have thought, with my senior advisers, very seriously how @placeholder can be relevant, and can be helpful, in addressing these issues," he said.