UN vote shuts down Yemen war crimes investigations
Twenty-one member states voted against renewing the UN Human Rights Council's mandate to investigate war crimes in Yemen.
Member states of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council voted to shut down the body's own mandate to investigate war crimes in Yemen’s civil war, dealing a major setback to those seeking accountability in the conflict.
Russia, Bahrain and 19 other countries voted against renewing the council’s mandate, shooting down a draft presented by European nations and Canada and led by the Netherlands.
Eighteen other nations, including the US, France, Germany, South Korea and Mexico voted in favor of the draft, while seven members of the council abstained. Ukraine did not register for the vote.
The failure marks the first time the UN’s human rights body has rejected a draft resolution in its 15-year history.
