It condemned excessive force against protesters, hundreds of whom have died since unrest began in January.

The council said those responsible for violence should be held accountable.

But the resolution was criticized by Yemeni activists and human rights groups, because it opened the way to granting immunity to the president.

The BBC's UN correspondent Barbara Plett says there were no council divisions like the kind that blocked action on Syria, partly because of serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Yemen.

The resolution urges the president to implement a political solution based on a plan put forward by the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), which urges him to transfer power to his deputy.

BBC