The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday in favor of a resolution to condemn violence in Yemen , where demonstrators , government forces and rival factions have been embroiled in months of unrest . The 15-0 vote demands that Yemen allow peaceful demonstrations to take place and to end government crackdowns on civilians . U.S . Ambassador Susan E. Rice said the `` Security Council sent a strong message to President ( Ali Abdullah ) Saleh that it is time to heed the legitimate calls of the Yemeni people for a peaceful and orderly transition toward a unified , stable , secure and democratic Yemen . '' `` President Saleh has repeatedly pledged to sign the ( Gulf Cooperation Council ) initiative , '' Rice said . `` Today , the Security Council made clear to President Saleh that his continued equivocation is weakening his country and imperiling a peaceful and democratic future for the people of Yemen . Friday 's resolution does not , however , sanction the embattled leader . The proposed deal , which Rice noted , referenced a GCC-brokered accord , backed by the United States and European Union , whereby Saleh could resign from power in exchange for immunity from prosecution . Peter Wittig , German ambassador to the United Nations , said the resolution was `` not ideal '' but `` can make a difference . '' `` We would have liked to express those messages that are in that resolution even in a stronger and more unequivocal form , especially the strong call to President Saleh to step down , '' he said . Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman also weighed in Friday , calling the resolution `` not sufficient . '' `` They have to discuss about the ousting of Ali Saleh and that he has to be handed over to the authorities immediately , '' says the Yemeni activist who plans to stay in the United States `` until I am able to submit Ali Saleh 's case to the international tribunal . '' `` But in general , '' she said of the resolution , `` I would say it is good . '' U.N. director at Human Rights Watch Philippe Bolopio said the group welcome 's `` the long overdue condemnation of Yemeni government abuses , '' but Bolopio believes `` the Security Council should have more clearly distanced itself from the GCC impunity deal . '' Earlier this week , several people were killed during clashes with Yemeni security forces after anti-government protests filled the streets of the country 's capital . Crowds had marched through downtown Sanaa , where government forces allegedly gunned down protesters . Hundreds of security forces attempted to restrict the protesters ' movements , and tear-gas canisters could be seen flying toward the crowd , said hospital director Mohammed Qubati . A senior U.S. official , speaking on condition on anonymity , said that Friday 's resolution , introduced by Germany and the United Kingdom , would send a strong signal of urgency for political transition . The official said that unanimity is an indication of greater consensus on the council . Russia and China issued a rare double veto of a resolution condemning the violence in Syria this month . Security Council members have said a political solution in Yemen should be based on a initiative put forward by the GCC , a political and economic union of Arab states .
Yemen . Ambassador Susan E. Rice said Ali Abdullah Saleh 's `` continued equivocation '' weakens his country . Resolution does not sanction embattled President Saleh . Yemen has been engulfed in Friday of unrest . U.N. vote demands that Yemen allow peaceful protests .