“Based on our detailed list of individual names that we have been keeping, the total number of people killed in Syria since protests began now stands at more than 2,900,” said Rupert Colville, spokesman for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The United Nations' previous death toll was 2,700 from the bloody crackdown by the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which generally denies reports of human rights abuses and says it has no choice but to restore law and order.

The U.N. Human Rights Council on October 7 reviewed Syria's record, part of its regular examination of all UN member states.

The Geneva forum last month launched an international commission of inquiry into alleged crimes against humanity which a preliminary UN investigation said were being perpetrated by Syrian security forces.