A/HRC/26/31 61. An effective international framework is needed to hold the global food industry legally accountable for its actions.93 There is a need to create an international framework that binds States and casts responsibility on them to modify their domestic laws for reduction and prevention of diet-related NCDs. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control could be used as a foundation on which an international framework for accountability and monitoring of the food and beverage industry can be built. The international community also needs to ensure that food corporations driven by commercial interests do not undermine the efforts of States to realize the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health. 62. However, mere political consensus may not be sufficient to attain a reduction in diet-related NCDs. States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations should come together to combat this epidemic. States need to have a timebound plan outlining concrete steps to be taken individually and jointly to progressively attain a global and domestic reduction in the burden of diet-related NCDs. To operationalize this goal, States should formulate indicators, benchmarks and global and domestic accountability mechanisms. States should also allocate sufficient resources to reduce and prevent the obesity epidemic as well as the increasing burden of diet-related NCDs. X. Conclusion and recommendations 63. In keeping with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to health, States should formulate and implement a national public health strategy and plan of action to address diet-related NCDs, which should be widely disseminated. Such a strategy should recognize the link between unhealthy foods and NCDs, while specifically addressing the structural flaws in food production, marketing and retail that promote the availability and accessibility of unhealthy foods over healthier options. Towards this end, States should necessarily develop multisectoral approaches that include all relevant ministries such as ministries of health, agriculture, finance, industry and trade. States should also ensure meaningful and effective participation of affected communities such as farmers and vulnerable groups like children, women and low-income groups in all levels of decision-making to discourage production and consumption of unhealthy foods and promote the availability and accessibility of healthier food options. 64. With a view to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the right to health, the Special Rapporteur recommends that States take the following steps: (a) Increase availability and accessibility of healthier food alternatives through fiscal and agricultural policies that discourage production of unhealthy foods. Also take measures to incentivize farmers to grow healthier products; (b) Make nutritious and healthy foods available and geographically and economically accessible, especially to low-income groups; (c) Provide information about the ill effects of unhealthy foods and raise awareness of the benefits of balanced diets and healthy foods to promote consumption of healthier foods; 93 Human Rights Watch, “UN Human Rights Council: weak stance on business standards”, 16 June 2011, available from http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/06/16/un-human-rights-council-weak-stancebusiness-standards. 21