The measure that passed Friday came after Dutch diplomats this week abandoned a separate proposal calling for an international fact-finding mission in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch, in a statement, called the Saudi-led resolution "deeply flawed" and said the Dutch backed down only after "intense pressure from Saudi Arabia."
"By failing to set up a serious U.N. inquiry on war-torn Yemen, the Human Rights Council squandered an important chance to deter further abuses," said Philippe Dam, its Geneva deputy director.
The Saudi-led proposal calls on Yemen`s government to take measures to protect civilians, and calls on armed militia groups to release political prisoners. It asks the U.N. human rights chief to report next year on the situation — though no debate on the matter is so far planned.
The United States, which has supported the Saudi-led military campaign notably with midair refueling aircraft, initially supported the Dutch resolution but also said it was seeking compromise.
U.S. Ambassador Keith Harper decried the "terrible humanitarian toll" carried out by all sides in the conflict, and said the U.S. would support further action by the council if human rights don`t improve in Yemen.
The resolution came on the last day of the 30th session of the 47-member council, which was created in 2006 to keep an international spotlight on rights abuses on around the world — even if it cannot compel countries to act.
Separately Friday, Unicef said that at least 505 children have been killed in Yemen, more than 600 have been recruited as child soldiers, and 1.7 million are facing the risk of malnutrition as infrastructure crumbles.
This story has been corrected to show that the estimated civilian death toll is 2,300, not 2,200.
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