Dutch officials on Thursday (March 9th) urged nations to boost efforts to create a database of alleged war crimes in Syria, using evidence smuggled abroad by refugees and investigators, AFP reported.

"We already have millions of pages and gigabytes of evidence, and millions more are waiting," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders told a conference gathering more than 150 experts, diplomats, rights activists and international lawyers.

He voiced the hope that "we can use that evidence to build airtight cases against those guilty of the worst crimes imaginable".

The UN General Assembly agreed in December to set up an investigative mechanism to gather evidence on war crimes in Syria. It would be the first step towards trying to prosecute those responsible for atrocities in the war.

The Netherlands has offered expertise and a million euros ($1.06 million) to help get the database up and running.

The database is aimed at furthering the work of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria based in Geneva, which will work under the UN Commissioner for Human Rights. The mechanism needs some $13 million to fund its first year.