A/HRC/9/23 page 35 17. At the political level, a number of meetings took place which sought to achieve a consensus on what needs to be done by governments about the crisis. The Human Rights Council convened in a special session on 22 May. On 20-23 May, the Economic and Social Council also held a meeting on the issue. On 28-30 May, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) adopted an action plan and a follow-up mechanism laying out a road map for action-oriented initiatives with measurable targets in order to promote further growth in Africa. On 3-5 June, the FAO convened a High Level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, which a large number of heads of State and governments attended. The G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit adopted a statement on global food security. Finally, on 18 July, the General Assembly held a meeting on the food and energy crisis, and this theme will again be on the agenda of its sixty-third session. 18. Finally, we are now entering a third phase, one during which a new architecture for the global food system is being discussed, in order to improve world food security in a sustainable fashion. Building on the “New Deal for a Global Food Policy” proposed by the World Bank61 and on a French proposal, the G8 Leaders called for a global partnership on agriculture and food “involving all relevant actors, including developing country governments, the private sector, civil society, donors, and international institutions”. They stated (para. 4): This partnership, strengthening and building on existing UN and other international institutions, could provide efficient and effective support for country-led processes and institutions and for local leadership, draw on the expertise in existing international organizations and, in particular, ensure monitoring and assessment on progress. The UN should facilitate and provide coordination. As part of this partnership, a global network of high-level experts on food and agriculture would provide science-based analysis, and highlight needs and future risks. 19. The statement also referred to the need to “explore options on a coordinated approach on stock management, including the pros and cons of building a ‘virtual’ internationally coordinated reserve system for humanitarian purposes” (para. 6). The UN Secretary-General, in his presentation to the UN General Assembly of 18 July 2008, fully endorsed the idea of a Global Partnership for Food. During the next few months, discussions will continue on these proposals. 61 See The World Bank, Double Jeopardy: Responding to High Food and Fuel Prices, G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit, 2 July 2008 (putting forward a 10-point action plan for a “New Deal for Global Food Policy”, for consideration by the G8 Leaders).