GENEVA (AP) – The United Nations Human Rights Council has narrowly passed a resolution that includes calls for greater scrutiny in the Philippines.
The Human Rights Council voted 18-14 with 15 abstentions to approve the resolution yesterday.
The measure, presented by Iceland, cites allegations of thousands of killings since President Duterte launched a campaign against illegal drugs in mid-2016.
The Philippines immediately rejected the resolution. The country’s ambassador in Geneva, Evan Garcia, said it “does not represent a triumph of human rights, but a travesty of them.”
The resolution calls on the Filipino government to “take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.”
It also urges the UNHRC to prepare a written report on the Philippines for consideration at the UNHRC’s summer session next year.