A/HRC/10/65 page 16 risks the international community is running in its reaction to the causes and the crisis: a focus on levels of prices exclusively, and a focus solely on overall levels of production in agriculture. He believed that a human rights approach would help avoid falling into these traps. The role of good governance, highlighted as an important element, has been ignored in efforts to address the crises so far. The Secretary-General was very reactive by setting up a high-level task force on the issue, however, the right to food was not taken into account sufficiently in the prescriptions for its work. 72. The Special Rapporteur further stated that human rights can guide the response to the crisis and policy development at two levels: they can encourage Governments to ensure adequate mapping of insecurity and vulnerability, and hence ensure targeted responses to the people most at risk and better monitoring and accountability by providing remedy mechanisms to victims. At another level, a human rights approach can encourage other forms of international cooperation, for example by establishing a global reinsurance fund to allow Governments to finance intervention funds and social safety nets to shield the population from negative effects. He concluded by emphasizing once more the role of human rights. He stated that the food crisis is not just a matter for technocrats, in terms of increasing the overall level of production; it is a human rights issue in terms of understanding who benefits and who loses out. 73. Christian Courtis, Legal Officer for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the International Commission of Jurists supported the added value of applying a human rights approach to the food crisis. Human rights provide a number of procedural safeguards or checks: for instance, if processes are participatory and transparent, if there is access to remedy and information, and if accountability of the Government is ensured. However, he recognized that the most difficult task is to frame substantive rather than procedural issues regarding human rights. 74. Mr. Courtis further explained that distribution of food and natural resources are encompassed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. There are core obligations and minimum targets that should be addressed, including the focus on those living in conditions of food insecurity. 75. Following the above presentations, the Chairperson-Rapporteur opened the floor for interactive debate. Speakers included representatives of Algeria, Brazil, Chile, France, the Syrian Arab Republic, Viet Nam and Yemen, as well as the organization ATLAS. José Bengoa, a member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee and the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights also took the floor. 76. It was stated that the food crisis is complex, and a combination of various factors have caused it, including high oil prices, a decline in crop yields owing to climate change, increased freight costs, speculation and the rise in food consumption in developing countries. It was also mentioned that the crisis reveals a problem in the distribution and purchasing power of food rather than in its production. A view was expressed arguing that the issue of biofuels should be disassociated from the food crisis. It was explained that, when biofuels are produced in a balanced manner to meet the needs of each country, it can be an important means of production beneficial to grass-roots communities.