The council was convened by the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the support of several countries. The government in Kinshasa urged the council, which consists of 47 member states, to hold Rwanda and the M23 militia, which has occupied the city of Goma, accountable for crimes against humanity and to establish an investigation group to examine human rights violations in the area.
M23 and Rwandan troops occupied Goma last week and are now moving into the neighboring province of South Kivu.
The risk of violence escalating throughout the entire region has never been higher, warns Volker Türk, the UN's human rights chief.
He further states that nearly 3,000 people have been killed and 2,880 injured since M23 entered Goma on January 26, and adds that the actual figures are likely to be much higher.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has previously expressed concerns that the fighting in Goma could lead to the leakage of samples of Ebola, Marburg, mpox, and other pathogens from an important laboratory in the city.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that the situation is under control.
I can say that the laboratory is safe, says Boureima Hama Sambo, WHO's representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to reporters in Geneva.
