On 2 October 2015 the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution which failed to set up an inquiry into the mounting war crimes and human rights abuses in Yemen. 

A draft resolution from the Netherlands calling for an international investigation into human rights violations committed by all sides in Yemen was withdrawn due to a lack of support from major players including the United Kingdom and the United States, and increasing pressure from Saudi Arabia.  The Council instead adopted a resolution tabled by Saudi Arabia on behalf of Arab states which does not include the establishment of an inquiry. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that this is a missed opportunity and a failure on behalf of the Human Rights Council to ensure accountability for the atrocities committed in Yemen.

The resolution comes weeks after Saudi Arabia was appointed head of the UN Human Rights Council panel that appoints independent experts to examine human rights issues. The GCHR strongly condemns the appointment and believes that it should be reversed immediately as human rights in Saudi Arabia continue to be grievously violated and the authorities blatantly disregard their international human rights obligations. Civil society is not allowed to operate freely and human rights defenders are targeted on a daily basis and many are imprisoned, tortured and even killed as a result of their peaceful and legitimate work.

The GCHR expresses serious concern over these developments at the Human Rights Council and urges the Council to ensure that it fulfils its obligations to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights and to address situations of human rights violations.