GENEVA -- A human-rights advocacy group Friday accused the top U.N. human-rights body of failing to improve scrutiny of abuses in war-torn Yemen by approving a resolution presented by Saudi Arabia -- a major participant in the conflict.
The Human Rights Council vote by consensus calls for Yemen to receive "technical assistance" on improving human rights. The U.N. estimates that more than 2,300 civilians have died since fighting escalated in the Arab Peninsula country in March, notably involving air power from a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition.
The measure that passed Friday came after Dutch diplomats this week abandoned a separate proposal calling for an international fact-finding mission in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch, in a statement, called the Saudi-led resolution "deeply flawed" and said the Dutch backed down only after "intense pressure from Saudi Arabia."
"By failing to set up a serious U.N. inquiry on war-torn Yemen, the Human Rights Council squandered an important chance to deter further abuses," said Philippe Dam, its Geneva deputy director.
The Saudi-led proposal calls on Yemen's government to take measures to protect civilians, and it calls on armed militia groups to release political prisoners. It asks the U.N. human-rights chief to report next year on the situation -- although no debate on the matter is so far planned.
The United States, which has supported the Saudi-led military campaign notably with midair refueling aircraft, initially supported the Dutch resolution but also said it was seeking compromise.
U.S. Ambassador Keith Harper decried the "terrible humanitarian toll" carried out by all sides in the conflict, and said the U.S. would support further action by the council if human rights don't improve in Yemen.
A Section on 10/03/2015