By Peter Kenny
GENEVA (AA) - The UN Human Rights Council voted Friday to set up an independent investigative commission on alleged human rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine where war rages on.
The council voted to investigate all alleged violations, human rights abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes.
Of the 47-member council, 32 voted for the resolution and two -- Russia and Eritrea -- opposed it. China, which said it opposes the setting up of the investigation commission, abstained.
Just before the vote, Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Yevheniia Filipenko called for a moment of silence for all those killed in the Russian-Ukraine War and the whole council stood up.
"Thousands of innocent civilians have now lost their lives. Russian forces continue deliberate and indiscriminate shelling of Ukrainian cities," said Filipenko.
"The number of people who were displaced has already exceeded one million," she said.
She added that the destruction of civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands without access to electricity or water, and other essential needs.
"The shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant may lead to a global catastrophe," said the Ukrainian envoy.
Belarus joined Russia in rejecting the resolution, but did not have a vote as it is not in the Human Rights Council.
China, France, Russia, the UK, and US are all in the Human Rights Council, but unlike the UN Security Council, they do not have a veto.