GENEVA — The United Nations’ top human rights body 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 on Thursday.
The measure, presented by Iceland, cites allegations of thousands of killings since President Rodrigo 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.â€
The resolution calls on the Philippine government to “take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.â€
It also urges the U.N. human rights office to prepare a written report on the Philippines for consideration at the Human Rights Council’s summer session next year. /jpv
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